Ryan: Though yesterday began our foray into the book of Proverbs, today we begin going through the individual proverbs themselves, organized by F. LaGard Smith into a topical arrangement. Today’s topics are the Fear of the Lord, Trust in God or self, Divine providence, Wisdom and folly, Dealing with fools, Discernment and Understanding, and Knowledge. Out of these, I would like to comment on one verse out of the “Dealing with fools” section: Proverbs 27:22–”Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.” When you grind grain in a mortar with a pestle, one of the first things that happens is the husk of the grain gets removed from the seed, exposing the more valuable part of the grain. Solomon is saying that no matter how much you grind away (argue) at a fool, you can not separate him from his “husk” of ignorance. Trying to argue your point with someone who is brainwashed or otherwise stubbornly set in their beliefs and refuse to even entertain opposing viewpoints will virtually do nothing except make you both tired and out of sorts with each other. For your practical application, try to always be open to opposing views and entertain ideas that you do not necessarily agree with at first.

Samantha: The writer of Proverbs 24:13 instructs us to “Eat honey…for it is good.” Modern research proves the many benefits of honey; it is an amazing creation, containing amino acids, B, C, D, and E vitamins. Throughout history it has been used to treat colds, sore throats, insect bites, burns, and as part of a beauty regimen. Local honey is said to help with allergies. It has sustained warriors and prophets and been used as currency. Bee pollen is said to be a “complete food,” containing most of the elements needed for survival. Knowing how vital the substance is, the writer says, “Know also that wisdom is like honey for you. If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (v. 14).

Bonus: I heard an interesting interview on honey just this morning with the author of The Honey Trail, a book about the author’s pursuit of honey around the globe.

Facebook is the church

In a recent editorial entitled “Will Facebook kill the church?” (May 2010), the author responds to growing concern over the power that social networking has over “church attendance.” One of the main precepts of modern Christianity (one that surprisingly comes straight from the Bible) is that the church is the body of believers, not a building. To say that Facebook and other social networking sites are aiding in the decline of church attendance is actually opposite of reality.

Before Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like, members of the church would meet together once or twice a week, unless they were closer friends in which case they might call on the phone or visit one or two more times per week. As more and more members of the church join social networking sites, it allows the “true church” to attend to each other not just once or twice a week, but several times every day.

No longer do we go through the regular social niceties and shallow small talk of weather, sports and gossip. Now, we are privy to the true concerns of the body: we see daily the heartfelt prayers, concerns, petitions, celebrations, and praise of the rest of the body. We know instantly if there is a problem with a member of the body who needs to be lifted up. We can see if someone is struggling with sin and needs the help of the church. For once in our modern life, the church is actually behaving like a body.

Facebook is not killing the church, it is breathing new life into it that has been missing since the dawn of the Industrial Age its accompanying large urban cities. We are witness to a glorious new dawn insomuch that the “church” is not contained in a single building once or twice a week, but rather is fluid, mobile, borderless, and constant. Church attendance should not be measured only between 10 o’clock and noon on Sunday mornings, but rather, how the body interacts on a consistent, daily basis. Perhaps the question we should be asking is, “Are buildings killing the church?”
Ryan G. Corcoran
Wichita, Kansas

Ryan: “This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” (Psalm 72:20). I found this verse to be absurd in its existence. What would have been more accurate perhaps, is “This concludes the written prayers of David son of Jesse.” The “psalter” includes at least 73 psalms written by David, but there are several others which have no author recorded, but are likely to be David’s as well. As of today, I have written down at least 20 prayers. But that in no way “concludes the prayers” of myself. How many prayers have I offered to God in a group setting that were impromptu? How many blessings offered to God before a meal? And then, to multiply that number by factor unknowable but to God, how many prayers have I offered up silently? As we have all learned by now, David was a man after God’s own heart. I can guarantee that David spent more time in prayer than I ever will in my lifetime. To think that 73 psalms could even possibly come close to “concluding” his prayers is ridiculous. You could almost substitute David’s name in the last verse of the book of John: “[David offered] many other [prayers] as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25, with changes to subject and direct object).

Samantha: How fitting to end the Messianic psalms with a psalm about the majesty of the eternal king! I noticed some parallels between David’s psalm and John’s vision of heaven in Revelation. Psalm 45:3-7 paints a picture of a great warrior who is victorious in his pursuit of truth and justice; girded with sword and clothed with splendor and majesty, nations fall beneath his feet. This description made me think of the picture of Jesus in Revelation 19:11-16, who is called Faithful and True, riding a horse, leading the armies of heaven, and out of his mouth is a sword to strike down nations as he delivers his perfect justice. Likewise, the bride wearing a beautiful gown adorned with gold in Psalm 45:7-15 made me think of the wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6-8, where the bride (us, the church!) is brought before the groom in fine linen. These two parallels were just the ones that initially caught my eye–there are plenty more in this psalm. Nothing puts things in perspective like thinking about eternity in heaven with the king!

Ryan: What beautiful music we read in our daily Bible reading today! Between the hymn that Samantha is writing about (below), the instrumental praise band in Psalm 150, and the countless contemporary Christian songs that use Psalm 139 as source material, we have enough music to bring glory to God for quite a while! In these four chapters, we read the word “praise” 33 times. All of our music should bring glory to our Father, no matter if it’s sung, played on instruments, or just thought in our heads. God loves to hear our songs, provided that we really are praising Him through them. It does not matter if you’re singing a cappella if you are singing for your own glory. In the same way, it does not matter if you’re playing a Bach hymn on the piano if in your heart you are bringing glory to the One who created you. As we’ve learned time and time again, it’s what is in our hearts that matters most to God, not rituals, laws, and sacrifices.

Samantha: As we read Psalm 148 I kept noticing phrases that reminded me of a song, but I couldn’t quite place it. Some of the phrases that stuck out were “all ye fruitful trees and cedars,” praise his name “young men and maidens, aged men and children small.” Figured it out yet? “Hallelujah Praise Jehovah“! There are a few translation differences, but this song follows Psalm 148 almost verbatim. I love, love, love this song not just because I enjoy the old-style harmony, but because the words call on everything to praise God: angels, sun and moon and stars, the heavens and seas, weather, mountains, animals, birds, kings, princes, aged men and children small. Look around at everything the Lord has created–it has all been created to give him praise! Every part of creation speaks (sings!) to his majesty and glory. “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted” (Psalm 148:13).

Ryan: There are some parts of the body of Christ that believe that worship of the Lord God Almighty can only include a cappella music. I can understand a congregation’s desire to “play it safe” by using a cappella music, arguing that there are no examples of instrumental music being used in worship in the New Testament. However, to then extend that concern to then make the argument that God hates all worship performed with instrumental music is at best errant, and at worst, prideful and arrogant. While time does not permit to provide a full discussion on the matter, count up how many times you’ve read the words harp, lyre, trumpet, horn, “stringed instruments,” and then try to tell me that God hates instrumental music. Today, we read, “make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn” (Psalm 98:5-6a). “But Ryan,” I can hear you saying, “that’s in the old testament. We’re not under the old law anymore.” Point conceded; however, all Christians admit that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and as such, there has never been anything which God loved in the Old Testament that he then turned and hated in the New. You can “play it safe” if you want to (and there’s nothing wrong with that), but do NOT point at your brother who is making joyful noise to the Lord on his guitar and call him a sinner.

Samantha: The more I read of God’s works in the Old Testament, the more I want to worship him. Growing up, we had an amazing black preacher at my nearly all-white congregation. Brother Dulan would give some of the most passionate and moving sermons that made even the stiffest white people say amen out loud and praise God. He’d often give us a hard time for being so stiff and emotionless. He’d tell us to sing it like we meant it, and to not be afraid to praise God. In our congregation now I am almost appalled when people sit there absolutely silent, proverbial crickets chirping in the background, in response to a lesson on grace or forgiveness. God washed away our sins with the blood of his Son-how can you NOT shout to God with joy?? Jesus told the Jews that “‘if [my disciples] keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40). We need to learn from David and Jesus and let go of our silly inhibitions so that we can praise our Lord in a manner that gives him the glory for what he’s done for us! Don’t just sit there–praise him!

Ryan: The atheist humanist movement that is quickly grabbing the industrialized societies by the throat is very appealing on the outside. The theory goes, as long as you’re nice to people, and you’re generally a “good person,” then that’s all that really matters. As long as you’re not hurting someone else, what does it really matter what you’re “in to”? In other words, there’s no such thing as absolute sin, only relative sin. The problem with that is what about the things that go on while no one’s watching? What about what goes on in your head that no one else can see? Do you think it really doesn’t matter if a married man indulges with pornography while his wife is absent? Of course it matters. Do you think it really doesn’t matter that inside you harbor angry, vengeful thoughts against someone, as long as you’re nice to their face? Of course it matters. Those kinds of sins are a cancer. They start out small, indetectable. They grow, and slowly begin to affect how you act on the outside. Paul writes, “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6). There is One who sees all, though. David writes in Psalm 19, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” You can try to tell yourself that that’s simply a “slippery slope” argument, and that you won’t fall into it. Ya, good luck with that.

Samantha: Christians are charged with spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and somehow (“Oh, I just don’t know who it could be”), we’ve been distracted by “morality issues,” materialism, and politics. Today’s reading was very comforting to me, because it talks about how the heavens and skies speak of God and how every language can understand that message. So even if the very people charged with spreading the Gospel fail, God will still shine through.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBJUd5zI9OY

Ryan: One thing you definitely don’t read in the psalms (at least we haven’t yet) is how those who are righteous are those who do their offerings and sacrifices regularly and orderly, those who worship at the temple every Sabbath, or those who make every effort to appear holy to their neighbors. No, instead what you read is, “He whose walk is blameless…does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman” (Psalm 15:2-3, emphasis added). We also read, “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just” (Psalm 37:30). When reading through these psalms, I was reminded of the book of James, one of my favorites from the New Testament. In it, James writes,

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:26-27)

God wants our hearts, and he wants us to love others more than ourselves. Everything else is secondary.

Samantha: My grandma once gave me a framed poem of my name, where each line of description began with a letter from my name. I learned later that is called an acrostic, where each line starts with a letter that spells out a word, or just spells out the alphabet. In Psalm 37 we read what is an acrostic in the original Hebrew. Looking at the Hebrew version at Mechon Mamre, you can see the beginning letter of each line in bold (remember Hebrew is read right to left). Using the Hebrew alphabet you can compare the two and see that each line is a successive letter. How cool is that? Poems don’t have to be boring–it’s like a hidden puzzle!

Ryan: Psalm 144 ends with, “Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.” The Jews have a strong tradition in issuing blessings. In Fiddler on the Roof, when someone asks the rabbi if there is a blessing for a sewing machine, the rabbi replies, “There’s a blessing for everything!” According to Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, the Jews developed the tradition in order to heed the words of Moses, “you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you” (Deut. 8:10 NASB). While Christians often ask for a blessing at a meal, Jews will issue a blessing, “Blessed is he who brings forth bread from the earth.” These little short prayers, if you will, are called berakhah, and faithful Jews will fill their day with them, from the moment they wake up to the moment they close their eyes to sleep, often issuing dozens if not hundreds of them each day. Ann Spangler writes, “When you start to make a habit of blessing God, you will discover that daily life can begin to feel like Christmas morning” (Sitting, p. 99).

Samantha: In our reading today we covered Psalm 120 and Psalm 121, both labeled as psalms of ascent. Two summers ago I had the privilege of studying all the psalms of ascent (Psalm 120-134) in the Beth Moore study,  Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent. These psalms were pilgrim songs, sung by the Jews on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. Many pilgrims traveled several days to get to Jerusalem, over rocky hills, and often at the mercy of bandits (think Good Samaritan). Psalm 121 would be very comforting to me along the journey, knowing that God will “not let your foot slip” or that “he who watches over you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). The journey is never easy, but God is there constantly to help you through it. When you falter, he is right there to steady you. When you sleep, he keeps watch. I will definitely sleep better tonight knowing that no matter what is out there, the God of the Universe is protecting me!

Ryan: I am very curious about how old David was when he wrote most of these songs and poems. I remember being a teenager, filled with angst, and coming up with poetry that I couldn’t even dream of today. Your emotions are at such at heightened state at that age that often they bubble over and the only way to express them is through song. Just yesterday, a former student wrote on Facebook, “I finished my poem. I really don’t mean for them to come out as kind of sad as they do it just happens.” To that, I replied with the quote from Jesus, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). At the time he was speaking, Jesus was referring to the evil things that the Pharisees would say. However, the converse is also true: he continues, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35). So how do we know that David was a man after God’s own heart? Because we can see the overflow of his heart through his many Psalms. The wonderful praise and heartfelt petitions come straight from David’s heart and reveal his truest nature, just as did the poems and songs we wrote as teenagers.

Samantha: Another Jesus moment in the Psalms today! Remember the story of Jesus going to the temple in Jerusalem for Passover and then clearing the moneychangers out of the temple in John 2? The disciples watched Jesus do this, and they “remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17). Talk about letting the word dwell in you, that you can recall an appropriate scripture at any moment (Col. 3:16)! The verse they thought of comes straight from our reading today in Psalm 69. In this psalm David talks about the evil that is committed against him even though he is blameless, and how God will provide salvation. Like the psalm from Day 110, take a few minutes to go back and re-read Psalm 69 from Jesus’ and his disciple’s perspective.

Ryan: I doubt there’s anything that can be said about Psalm 23 (“The LORD is my shepherd…”) that hasn’t been said already, so I don’t think my adding one more paragraph will help. Instead, I’d like to pull one verse out of today’s reading to discuss: “I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8). Of course, in David’s time, the “house” where God lived was the tabernacle, and soon to be the temple. But it was indeed a specific place where one could go and worship. Today, each believer is the house where God lives, and His glory dwells in us. Paul wrote in his first letter to the sinful Corinthian church, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, emphasis added). So my question to you is, do you love the house where God lives? In an age and nation that not only permits, but often celebrates obesity, substance abuse, body modification, and sexual impurity, I’m terribly afraid that the house where God lives is under siege. Let us all work together to clean and rebuild the temple of the LORD our God.

Samantha: I almost jumped out of my skin when David said “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). Sound familiar? The only other place that phrase occurs in the Bible is when Jesus says it right before he dies (Luke 23:46). Jews had the Scriptures memorized backwards and forwards, and how much more did Jesus know them! They applied them to every part of their lives, and this psalm that David writes is no exception. The picture is of a righteous person being overtaken by their enemies and how God will rescue, redeem, and deliver them. I went back and re-read Psalm 31 from the perspective of Jesus as he was hanging there on the cross, and I highly recommend you do the same! It is astounding (and so like the Holy Spirit!) how the words of David were so applicable to Jesus’ situation over 1,000 years after the psalm was written. They are just as appropriate to us today; this set of psalms is for anyone who is feeling cornered, betrayed, forgotten, overwhelmed, or defeated. No matter your situation, God will deliver those who love him. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

Ryan: Yet another “job-that-we-could-do-without-if-we-followed-the-Bible”: career counselors. Most of what we read today was simply a list of who was going to do what job. And how did they decide who was going to do which job? They cast lots. How would you have liked it if instead of filling out those insipid career aptitude tests, that the school counselor came in and said, okay, here’s a 6-sided die. Roll and look up on this list to see what job you get to do when you graduate (if you’re lucky, you’d get a counselor who plays Dungeons & Dragons and so would have a 12- or 20-sided die to use instead). “All of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD–they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties” (1 Chronicles 25:7-8). In some ways, I would have hated that, but in other ways, I would have loved that too. It sure takes the guess work out of “what do I want to be when I grow up?”

King David's Lyre: Echoes of Ancient Israel by Michael Levy

Samantha: As David makes preparations for the Lord’s temple he appoints musicians. “All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD -they numbered 288″ (1 Chron. 25:6-7). If you’ve never heard ancient music from a lyre check out the link below!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/king-davids-lyre-echoes-ancient/id295165096

Ryan: So here’s a weird-but-true coincidence in a modern day connection to today’s daily Bible reading: in today’s Wichita Eagle there was an article reporting that an Olathe man who had cursed a police officer with expletives and giving him “the finger” had won a lawsuit to repeal a disorderly conduct charge. This man had apparently felt that cursing the cop was an appropriate response for making his children cry. The courts decided that his behavior was covered under the first amendment, and ordered that the city pay his $5,000 fine. In 2nd Samuel 19:15-23, we read that Shmei was granted mercy (and a stay of execution) for hurling curses (and more) toward King David (see April 13). I guess once Shmei realized that he was supporting “the wrong team,” so to speak, he changed his tune and threw his support to Team David. He begged for forgiveness for cursing the King, and despite his officers’ advice to the contrary, the King pardoned him for the act. It goes to show you that there really is nothing new under the sun.

Samantha: I was pretty astounded that after David was restored as king after the Absalom coup, that now there’s another attempted coup! “So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem” (2 Sam. 20:2). It seems to me that these people are so easily swayed and move from one leader to the next, never satisfied. It reminded me of the passage in Timothy where we’re warned, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). Even though God has anointed Jesus as our king there will always be defectors who move from doctrine to doctrine to suit their desires.

Ryan: Another first we read about today! While I’m sure they’ve already had them in the past, during today’s reading, we learn about the first song leader mentioned in the Bible. Of course, we had also had the lead trumpet players, harpists, and percussionists as well. “Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it” (1 Chron. 15:22). I just found the wording of that quote interesting, because it called to mind two passages–the first from Exodus when they were building the tabernacle when God appointed master craftsmen to do the work, and the second from Romans 12:6-9 where Paul is instructing the church members that they each have an important role to play in the church, and that whatever God tells them to do, they should do cheerfully.

Samantha: I really enjoyed listening to David recount the oral history of the Israelites back to Abraham. It seems like it has been a while since the people have been reminded of who they are and why they are here. God’s plan is one big picture and it is important to know that you’re a part of that picture and that your life serves a bigger purpose.

Ryan: Now, we all know that the Israelites had a way of being cyclical in their obedience to the LORD, but this is amazing. As we were reading today’s daily Bible reading, both of the scenes that Samantha and I commented on yesterday were repeated almost to the letter. For example, see yesterday’s post about how a young man was killed for confessing to the murder of Saul. Now, read 2 Samuel 4:8-12. Even though having Ish-Bosheth out of the way would have been good for the reunification of Israel, David did not tolerate the murder of an “innocent” man (I wouldn’t go as far as David does by calling him innocent, but at least most of his killings were in the context of war). The young men responsible for killing Ish-Bosheth were likewise put to death (“Eye for eye; tooth for tooth”–Exodus 21:24). In my opinion, all of these nonsense killings are born out of an environment of death. Since the time of Moses, there have not been many leaders who “preached the word,” so to speak. We’ve had Joshua, the judges, Saul, and now David–all military leaders. When all people see around them is killing and murder, that is going to be their first instinct in reacting to tense situations, instead of relying on the LORD.

Samantha: I feel like I’m having déjà vu! Yesterday we read about David’s lament over Saul, and today we read about David’s lament over Abner (2 Sam. 2). While the circumstances of each man’s death are different, David reacts in much the same way by mourning, putting to death the evil men who brought “good news” (1 Sam. 3:9-12), and lamenting that mighty warriors have fallen (2 Sam. 1:19, 2 Sam. 3:38). In a land filled with inconsistencies, it is refreshing to have a leader whose actions are consistent with the Lord’s teachings and instructions.

Ryan: We frequently think of David as a great warrior, which indeed he was, but I think we often overlook his prowess as a military leader. Sure, Joshua was great, but David shows moments of brilliance. We read today how David and his men protected the fields of a very influential farmer (which admittedly didn’t turn out how David intended, but God still claimed a victory). We also read of David and his men sneaking into Saul’s camp, not to kill him, but to scare them and in turn earn what we would call in today’s vernacular “political capital.” In a move that even Jack Bauer would appreciate, David even went deep “undercover” and lived and fought with the Philistines to gain their trust. Throughout all of his victories, though, David never got a big ego and believed that it was he and he alone that was responsible for these victories. David always sought the will of God, as one instance was recorded in 1 Samuel 30:8, “David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?’” A wise lesson to be learned from the father of the wisest man who ever lived: always consult the will of God and don’t ever think you did something all on your own.

Samantha: I was surprised at the amount of food that Abigail sent to David and his men: “two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs” (1 Sam. 25:18). Back then they didn’t have grocery stores–everything was grown and made by hand. That can be hard to imagine for us “servantless American cooks” who have the advantage of mass production! There’s a fantastic cookbook, called The Good Book Cookbook, that uses history and archaeology to recreate Biblical recipes. I made Sarah’s bread with my Bible class once and it took four hours total for one loaf (not including time to grind the grain, which they had to grow and grind themselves–no pre-packaged milled flour!). The wine had to be made from the harvest of grapes, fruit, or grain, and then fermented for at least a few months. The sheep Abigail provided had to be killed and dressed, which takes a few hours. The grain she provided had to have been cultivated (planted, irrigated, harvested) and then roasted; it measured about 2 gallons–that’s about six of the 43-ounce value size boxes of our cereal today. To top if off she provided 100 raisin cakes and 200 fig cakes. Her husband was very wealthy and no doubt she had many, many servants to help her prepare this enormously time consuming gift for David!

Ryan: My comments today are more reflective of the Daily Bible itself, rather than today’s content. In the middle of today’s reading, the editor of this chronological study Bible inserted the entirety of Psalm 59, in which “David prays for God’s strength” (p. 411). Most of the time when we read the Psalms, we tend to lump them together as a cohesive book, instead of what it actually is: a songbook of lyrics to songs written over the course of many years. Even though we cognitively understand that David wrote most of the psalms, we (read: I) have a tendency to just picture David sitting down by candlelight writing psalm after psalm, instead of writing a song by campfire (for example) as he is on the lam from Saul (1 Samuel 19:18). To my knowledge, there is no definitive proof that this is the exact time when David wrote Psalm 59 (there were several times when David was running from Saul), but given some of the stanzas, it fits well. “Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men….for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 59:2, Psalm 59:16).

Samantha: If there is one thing in this world that hurts my feelings it is being wrongfully accused when I’m innocent, or more accurately, being told I’m wrong when I know I’m in the right. With all my training in debate and data analysis I can use facts and numbers to prove that I’m right, but being told I’m wrong still stings because I tend to take it personally. I can feel the desperation of David’s anguish when he says, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?” (1 Sam. 20:1). David had the numbers to prove that he only brought good to Saul’s life (even if Saul didn’t see it that way). When this happens to us today we should think about Peter’s encouragement to, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12). 

Ryan: I love Samuel’s words to Saul that were recorded in 1 Samuel 15:22-23. They take on so much more meaning having read through all of the laws and sacrifices and offerings just a few weeks ago. Having so much time (and ink!) devoted to the recording and reading of the laws about sacrifices, you definitely get the sense that they are of utmost importance to God. And while they are important, we learn from Samuel that they aren’t the pinnacle of worship to God. Samuel says, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I’m sure at the time, this seemed like such a weird thing to hear from the prophet of God, but now having access to the teaching of Jesus, that statement is much more understandable. Caring for a sick man took greater importance than observing the Sabbath, for example (John 7:23). Even though I have no children of my own, I can attest from having a couple hundred children in my classroom, that obedience truly is better than sacrifice. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author reminds these people who are so well trained in offerings and sacrifices, “do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). In other words, the best sacrifice one can make is complete obedience.

Samantha: Maybe it’s just me, but when the instructions from the Lord were to “totally destroy everything,” it doesn’t seem like there’s much room for interpretation there (1 Sam. 15:3). For some reason Saul apparently heard the instructions as, “totally destroy everything…except whatever you think looks good to keep.” I’m sure that he truly thought he was doing something good by bringing back the best of the animals for sacrifice and bringing back King Agag alive. Nevertheless, he failed to carry out exact orders and that is considered disobedience. That’s where we get into trouble today, too–God gives us specific instructions in his word and we think we’re doing the right thing by adding a few of our own touches. That’s why we have so many denominations in Christianity! We need to be careful, lest Jesus tell us,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Ryan: We read today about a dangerous precedent that was set for the first time here in the book of Judges. Unfortunately, it was a precedent that has been followed several times throughout history. I’m referring to the instance of a wealthy man hiring someone to be “their” priest (Judges 17:10). While it was not uncommon during these times for pagan priests to be hired by individuals, this is the first example we’ve seen of it happening among the Israelites. This was also very common in the Catholic church, as many times throughout the history of the British Empire, the monarchy more or less “owned” the church, and could dictate doctrine to the church, instead of the other way around (one example of this is the translation of the King James bible). Why any priest would agree to that is beyond me. Now, apply that to the New Testament rules: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). We are all priests; we belong to God. We are NOT for hire. Never let someone with power, money, or influence make you bow to their wishes instead of the will of God.

Samantha: Was anyone else baffled by Micah’s mother’s comment, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol” (Judges 17:3)?? How can someone say in the same sentence that they are dedicating something to the Lord and then turn right around and say they will directly defy this same God by making a pagan idol? While this may seem like a stretch, I think this is what James was referring to in the New Testament when he said, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (James 3:10-11). We should constantly think of this scripture, especially when we’re upset about something, such as the current political climate. For example, singing on Sunday “this world is not my home…my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue” and then the rest of the week complaining about the government and taxes. James would say “this should not be,” since God is the one who establishes governments (Romans 13), Paul instructed us to not complain about anything (Philippians 2:14), and above all, Jesus commanded us to not worry (Matthew 6:25-33). Be about your Father’s business constantly and consistently.

"Death of Samson" by Gustave Doré

Judges 13-16

Ryan: The story of Samson here in the middle of Judges is like a nice little mini-novel (or novella, if you will), not unlike that of Joseph. Growing up, the only thing I knew about Samson was that he torn down some huge stone pillars and that he loved some girl named Delilah and there was some opera about it (see below). Of course children in Sunday school always learn about the donkey’s jawbone and the hair cutting, but I knew nothing of all that. I didn’t know about one of the coolest scenes in the Bible involving an angel (Judges 13:15-23). I didn’t know about Samson’s first wife or how she died. I didn’t know about how he killed a lion and then ate some honey from a honeycomb bees had started in the lions carcass (disgusting!). I didn’t know about the riddles and rhymes throughout the story (my favorite is in Judges 14:18). I didn’t know about how he tied three hundred foxes’ tails together in pairs and had them drag torches through the Philistines’ crops (one of the funniest scenes in the Bible so far, after Aaron’s “and out popped this calf!” line). And I didn’t know about how despite the fact that Delilah tried to deceive him four times, Samson relented and actually told her his secret (bright). So after reading this as an adult, what did I learn from the story of Samson? God uses some of the most colorful characters to accomplish His will. If he can use someone like Samson, he could certainly use me.

Samantha: I’ve always thought that Samson’s Incredible Hulk strength was awesome, but I was really put-off by the gore-filled kill fest (who kills 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey??). Reading the story again today gave me a new perspective on this story and why it is included in God’s word. For one, Samson was set apart before birth by God himself–an angel was sent to tell his parents that Samson would be a Nazarite, dedicated to the Lord. There was clearly a purpose to his life: “His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines” (Judges 14:4). The Israelites were oppressed by the ruthless Philistines and God used Samson to free them (good thing it was Samson–he had the perfect personality to be confrontational!). While the death, lies, and betrayal in Samson’s story may seem out of character for a “man of God,” he fulfilled the purpose God had for him. We know this because he is mentioned in the faith chapter in Hebrews: “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised” (Hebrews 11:32-33).

Ryan: Here in the Old Testament book of Ruth is a story of one of the best examples of living like a “Christian,” in the form of Naomi. Naomi, her husband, and her two sons were Israelites, and each son took a Moabite woman for a wife. When Naomi’s husband and two sons died, Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their “people” and to “their gods” (Ruth 1:15). Both women resisted at first, wanting to stay with their mother-in-law. Orpah [who, coincidentally, is Oprah Winfrey's misspelled namesake] did finally leave and go back to her mother. Ruth, on the other hand, insisted on going wherever Naomi went. I realize this book is about Ruth and not Naomi, but there’s obviously a lesson to be learned from Naomi. She did not attempt to convert Ruth and Orpah to Judaism (that we’re told), and even insisted they return to their original “gods.” She did not beat them over the heads with Bible verses, so to speak. She simply loved them for who they were and showed her daughters-in-law a large measure of grace and humility. She loved them and watched over them, to the point that neither one wanted to leave her and return to their own families. We don’t really know how much Naomi taught Ruth and Orpah about Jehovah, but we do know that she loved her daughters-in-law, and that was enough to win over Ruth to the point that she was grafted in to the line of the son of God himself. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Samantha: While I could recite the details, I really didn’t comprehend the story of Ruth until I read Francine Rivers’ Unshaken: Ruth (Lineage of Grace #3). Learning about the culture of that time is invaluable to seeing what it was really like for Ruth. She left everything she had to serve her mother-in-law, even when she had the chance to return home. She endured hardships and possibly ridicule because she was a foreigner (from an enemy country, no less), and she humbled herself with the poorest in Israelite society to glean grain behind the harvesters. The kindness and love she meets in Boaz is one of the most touching love stories the Bible has to offer. This is one of my favorite books in the Lineage of Grace series and I encourage you to go check it out from the library to bring a historical perspective to this beautiful love story.

Ryan: While the Israelite community was very patriarchal in nature, the matriarchs of the household were also pivotal in all spiritual matters, not just in the home. Women were certainly excluded from almost all business dealings, but when it came to God and home, mothers were more involved than we may think. The mother of the house has a very large part of the Passover seder, and they even got to offer certain sacrifices, as we read just a few weeks ago. In today’s Bible reading, however, we see the first instance of a woman being placed in charge of men. Deborah was not a single woman–she had a husband, named Lappidoth–and yet she was not only above her husband, but also above the entire nation of Israelites. She was the chief justice and the commander in chief, so to speak, as she presided over court disputes and gave orders to the commander Israelite army, Barak. In today’s times, we might think that she climbed and clawed her way to the top of the “corporate ladder,” stepping on people on her way up. However, as we learned yesterday in Judges 2:16-19, the LORD hand-selected each judge and raised them up, guiding them all along the way. After reading this passage, it’s a little hard for many modern Christian denominations to justify relegating women to the pews while men to all the spiritual work. An old “joke” circulates now and then about how we allow women to pass Communion trays side-to-side, but not front-to-back. After seeing how God raised up Deborah, do you really think that’s where God wants women in His church?

Samantha: Deborah’s prophecy that “the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman” turned out quite unexpectedly in my opinion (Judges 4:9). For one, the woman, Jael, was a member of the family descended from Moses’ brother-in-law. Her husband and their clan had left their alliance with the Israelites and joined forces with Jabin, a king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. After the Israelite attack of Jabin’s army, only the commander Sisera was left. He escaped to the tent of Jael, who he thought would care for and hide him (Joshua 4:17). She initially follows the rules of hospitality and offers him something to drink and provides him a place to rest. Once he’s asleep, she turns on him and kills him with a tent peg through the temple. The Archaeological Study Bible notes that ancient readers would have been horrified at Jael’s killing of Sisera because she violated their peace treaty and violated the rules of hospitality (p.351). In light of the last 76 days of reading I now see her actions not as a crime, but as her obedience to the Lord. Even though her family had pledged allegiance to the enemy, I loosely compare Jael’s actions to those of Rahab, who believed and had faith in the one true God and committed treason by hiding the Israelite spies. Why else would Jael have gone out to meet the commander of the Israelite army and say, “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for” (Judges 4:22)? While we’re not told that she did this to serve the Lord, I would like to believe that she was. A takeaway for women from this story is that even though Jael was just a housewife in a family who had left the Lord–she was not a judge like Deborah, or a military leader like Barak, or even an Israelite warrior–she still was obedient to the Lord in the ways that she could be.

Ryan: It’s good to see that the sons of Jacob are still helping each other. We saw the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh go and help their brothers conquer Canaan, even though they already had their land and they had to leave their wives and children there while they went away to fight (and you can imagine that some of them may not have made it back from battle). In today’s reading, we saw the Simeonites help Judah (Judg. 1:1-10, Judg. 1:16-19) in taking over their territory (Simeon was Judah’s neighbor to the north), as well as Issachar and Asher helping out the other half of Manasseh with their territory (Josh. 17:11-13). We can take this principle and apply it to our own lives today–we should all be helping our brothers in the pursuit of driving out all unholiness from our lives. Our church congregation encourages all men to participate in what we call “men’s accountability groups.” These are small groups (4-8 men) that get together at least once a week for Bible study, prayer, and encouragement. They can also be used as a support group if you are struggling with a particular sin. I have been a part of two different groups during my time at Northside, and I can attest that going to battle with your sins while partied with your brothers is far easier than trying to go it alone. If you are not a part of such a group (women can do this too), I encourage you to find brothers (or sisters) at your local congregation with whom to form a group. There are many good resources on the internet if you’re looking to start a group of your own (I just Googled “men’s accountability groups” and found several decent pages.)

Samantha: I was disheartened as tribe after tribe let just a few of the peoples of the land stay, even after God had instructed the Israelites to drive them out. Maybe they thought that just a few wouldn’t hurt–they could always put them to forced labor. God disagreed: “Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you” (Judges 2:2-3). As a little yeast leavens the whole loaf, so a little sin quickly overtakes the unsuspecting. We can all relate to Jimmie and the White Lie or Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space, but what about more real-life, everyday things? What about going to an R-rated movie because it is an Academy Award Winner? Watching Desperate Housewives or The Bachelor because of the drama? Listening to political talk radio so you can keep up with the “news”? Eating the highest calorie Cold Stone creation just because you think you “deserve” it? These may seem silly, but if you are discerning you can easily spot the sin in each one of these examples. If we’re not careful we’ll be sucked in! It is really hard to be living in this world and to not be a part of it. The best example is Daniel, who lived in a very opulent and sinful Babylon–he could have had anything he wanted and yet he chose to not eat their food and prayed to God even when it was outlawed. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you discernment so that you can see through Satan’s cleverly hid traps.

Ryan: In today’s reading, we see one of the most ubiquitous verses of the Old Testament: Joshua 24:15–”Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Many people have this verse on a plaque, a poster, or some kind of fixture in their homes as a reminder that their decision to follow God was their choice, and it’s a choice to which we all must hold fast. When the people of Israel responded to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:21), he responded with an even stronger warning: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:22). Those of us who have made the decision to follow Christ in baptism have likewise become witnesses against ourselves. On that day, we chose for ourselves that we would serve the Lord. And as witnesses against ourselves to that oath, the Lord will hold us accountable for our servitude. It may be a very good idea for you to find a way to mount this verse somewhere in your home or office, as we all need to be reminded that choosing to serve the Lord is a choice we make every single day when we wake up, when we go along the road, and when we lie down.

Samantha: The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh fulfilled their promise to Moses to help the remaining tribes secure their land, so they were finally able to go home to their families. Then, all of a sudden in Joshua 22:12 the other tribes gather to go to war against Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. Whoa! What happened to having peace in the land? The other tribes heard that these 2 1/2 tribes built an altar and jumped to the conclusion that it was either their own tabernacle or an altar to a foreign god. After being warned so many times about those foreign gods it is easy to see why the other tribes assumed that these 2 1/2 tribes had fallen away. Instead of oh, I don’t know, talking to them?, the other tribes suit up for battle against their own brothers. I wish that I could say I have never experienced this, but I am all too familiar with church family–my own brothers and sisters–jumping to conclusions, ready to excommunicate me or others over what was really their own misunderstanding in the first place. Had communication actually taken place there would never have been a problem. At least in today’s reading the 2 1/2 tribes are given a chance to defend their altar building, and I can see the tears streaming down their faces as they give their sincere, heartfelt defense. They were just trying to do what was right. They were trying to follow God and help others to do the same. Once the other tribes listened and understood, they were pleased with their brothers and praised God. Once we have all the facts then we can make a decision, but jumping to conclusions without knowing the big picture only causes hurt and division.

Ryan: As the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they took twelve stones and set them up as a memorial, “to serve as a sign…when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (Josh. 4:6-7). I’d like to share an example of one of our Sisters, Carla M., who used to attend the same congregation that Samantha and I do. At any point in her life when she has actively felt the hand of the Lord working in her life, she immediately finds a small, unique rock nearby. She takes that home and adds it to her collection. She then can tell her family exactly what God did for her, and that rock is her reminder of that event. I was told that she has literally dozens of rocks in her collection, and she can tell you exactly what each event means to her. In my opinion, this is a great example of using the Old Testament as our teacher, and applying what we learn from it to our daily lives. Carla and her family are a living testament to what God does in the lives of active Christians.

Samantha: I vividly remember being in Bible class when I was four years old and hanging the scarlet cord out of the window of a model two-story handmade wooden house (there were even wheat stalks on the roof!). I remember learning about the two spies and the woman that hid them on her rooftop, but is wasn’t until I read Francine River’s novella, Unashamed, that I actually thought about that woman and her perspective on life. In the book of Joshua, Rahab seems to come out of nowhere. A Canaanite prostitute who knew about the Lord and who wanted to serve the Lord was very rare at that time. She risked her own life to save the two spies because she knew that the Lord had already handed over their land to the Israelites, and she wanted to be a part of it. Unashamed will give you a new perspective on this woman, who is later grafted into the line of Jesus.

Source: David Bjorgen on Wikimedia commons

Ryan: After reading about God showing the promised land to Moses and his subsequent death on Mount Nebo, I got a strong urge to know what Moses saw. So I looked up Mount Nebo on Google Earth. It was interesting to see the terrain, but since Google still doesn’t have Street View on the top of Mount Nebo, it wasn’t really like being there in the first person. Then, thanks to the magic of Wikipedia, I found this picture taken from the summit of the half-mile high mountain ridge looking towards the Dead Sea (southwest). It truly is a wonderful vantage point to see the entire valley, including the cities of Jericho and Jerusalem. According to the article, six tombs have been found below a church basilica built there in the 4th century A.D. Also, even though protestant Christianity does not view the Apocrypha as inspired, the book of 2 Maccabees also cites Mount Nebo as the place where Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant. How appropriate to bury the tabernacle and the ark alongside the man who worked with God face to face to give them to the Israelites!

Samantha: I’ve heard many presentations and been to seminars on workplace culture and how to change it for the better. One of the main points is always that many workplaces/churches/organizations are dependent on one central leader (“personality”) to guide them. While this is great when you’re starting from scratch or re-organizing, the eventual goal is to become a culture-led environment where each individual takes responsibility. The problem with having a personality-led group is when the leader leaves the people typically don’t continue the traditions or follow the methods that leader established. For the Israelites in today’s reading their personality was Moses. Moses tried continually to teach the Israelites about God’s laws and ways in the hopes of maturing their faith, but because they were dependent on him to intercede for them (Ex. 20:18-19), they never quite took responsibility for their own salvation. This is why Moses said to the Israelites, “I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you” (Deut. 31:27-29). This is why I think our daily Bible reading is so important; knowing what it says yourself helps you to mature and become a more responsible Christian. This way, no matter who is in a leadership position you will be equipped to handle the word and will be ready in all circumstances.

Ryan: We always love reading and talking about God’s love and the blessings that he pours on us. We read through a whole slew of them today: “the ground will yield its crops” (Lev. 26:4), “I will grant peace” (Lev. 26:6), “your enemies will fall by the sword before you” (Lev. 26:8), “I will look on you with favor” (Lev. 26:9), “I will keep my covenant with you” (Lev. 26:9), “I will put my dwelling place among you” (Lev. 26:11), “I will walk among you” (Lev. 26:12). It’s true that God gave the Israelites many blessings; however, if you look closely, that entire section begins with the word “If.” “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands…” (Lev. 26:3). That means all of those wonderful blessings that God just listed are all–every single one–conditional. It is up to the Israelites to obey God in order to receive those blessings. God may love us unconditionally (like a parent), but because of that love, He won’t always give us the world (also, like a parent).

Source: Flickr

Samantha: The Lord gave instructions about the Israelite’s clothing–He wanted their clothing to remind them of His commands. The tassels in Numbers 15:37-41 are called  tzitzit in Hebrew; they were first put on the four corners of the tunics and later tied onto the head coverings they wore for prayers, Sabbath (shabbat), and holidays. The head covering, or prayer shawl, is called a tallit. The tassels, tied in a very specific pattern, reminded them first of the 10 commandments, and later all 613 laws in the Old Testament. If you’d like to see a real, certified-by-a-Rabbi tallit go visit our church’s children’s wing—I purchased one for them when we had a culture lesson on Jewish worship rituals during the time of Jesus. What a neat thought, to “wear” God and His laws around with you all day. It gives additional meaning to the New Testament phrase ‘clothing yourself with Christ’ (Rom 13:14, Gal. 3:27). Now, instead of having 613 knots on 4 tassels on our garments, we simply have to clothe ourselves in the greatest commandment from God, as refined by Jesus: love.

Ryan: The phrase “do not ignore” kept jumping out at me during today’s reading. How many of us (and how often) have walked past someone in the street in need, driven past a stranded vehicle without offering assistance, sat comfortably while an elderly person or someone with a disability stood nearby? I’m afraid that of all the laws and commands that God has issued us, this one is by far the one I have violated the most. One night after church, I was driving home (alone) and passed a woman with a flat tire on the on-ramp to the interstate. It was late, dark, and misty. She was alone and was attempting to change her tire. I’m ashamed to confess that I drove right past her. The Holy Spirit prodded me to stop, but I ignored Him. When the next exit came, He told me to turn around and return to help her, but I ignored Him. Every time I passed an opportunity to turn around, He prodded me, and I ignored Him. Finally, six miles later, I relented and turned around and drove all the way back. When I got back to the on-ramp, the woman was still there, still trying to change her tire. I quickly helped her; she was almost done changing her tire. She got on her way safely, no thanks to me. I wish I could use this example to say, ‘See how good I am?’ but sadly, I was ashamed that it took me six miles of goading to finally listen to the Holy Spirit, and not to ignore Him.

Samantha: I’m definitely in a Lord of the Rings mood, especially after reading about Israelite warfare regulations. What made me think of it were the trees–God commanded that the warriors only use non-fruit trees to build their siege works. When the Israelites (or any other army, for that matter) went to siege a town they usually started by surrounding the city and then cutting off roads, food, and water supplies. To overcome the city they would employ several different methods: a Trojan horse-like lure, bullying into submission, or taking on the city wall. The wall was probably the most successful method, and they could do a few different things: use dirt to build a mound up the side of a wall so that the warriors could climb up and over, simply scaling the wall with rope, tunneling under the walls, or building “siege works” like battering rams (and later on catapults). To build siege works takes wood, and the Lord was very specific on what wood not to use. Did you catch the reason? So the warriors would have fruit to eat! “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them? However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.” (Deut. 20:19-20).

Ryan: There are so many good verses in today’s reading that teach about lending, borrowing, and monetary policies that we could do a whole study just on those. But there was one section that caught my attention more than others, particularly because of a New Testament connection.  Leviticus 19:35-57 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16 command that we use honest weights, measurements, and standards of lengths and quantities. “The Lord your God detests anyone who does [not do] these things, anyone who deals dishonestly” (Deut. 25:16). As my friend and teacher, Darrell O. likes to say, “and as it is in the Old Testament, so it is in the New Testament.” Jesus takes the same principle but expands it just as he does every law so that it doesn’t only include physical measurements and counts, but with our own perceptions of others. After the infamous verse, “Judge not, that ye be not judged…” (Matt. 7:1 KJV), Jesus continues, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2 NIV). Good advice, and a lesson I originally learned from a short scene in Karate Kid 2 (embedded below, clip in question ends after 49 seconds).

Samantha: In today’s reading, God noted that “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deut. 15:11). I wonder if churches today did their part to help the poor if we would even need a welfare system in our government? After all, didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21)?

Numbers 5:5-10, Ex. 22:9, Ex. 7-8, Ex. 22:10-17, Ex. 21:33-34, Ex. 22:6, Ex. 22:5, Ex. 21:28, Ex. 21:29-32, Ex. 21:35-36, Lev. 24:18, Deut. 22:8, Deut. 24:14-15, Lev. 25:44-46, Deut. 23:15-16, Deut. 15:12-18, Ex. 21:1-11, Deut. 23:19-20, Ex. 22:25-27, Deut. 24:6, Deut. 24:10-11, Deut 15:1-11, Lev. 19:12, Num. 30:1-16, Lev. 19:11, Lev. 19:35-37, Deut. 25:13-16, Deut 21:15-17, Deut 25:5-10, Num. 27:1-11, Num. 36:1-13

Ryan: I found it interesting in today’s reading that one could devote any number of things to God, be it their homes, animals, possessions, people (in their household, I’m assuming), or even their own lives (through the Nazarite vow). When one devoted something to God, it became a belonging of the Lord’s. Though the Bible doesn’t come right out and say it (at least not in this part of the Bible), I’m also assuming that the Levites could essentially use whatever was devoted to God for their own purposes as far as the assembly of the Lord was concerned. What I found even more interesting, however, is that one could redeem those possessions from the Lord without any hard feelings. You just pay a 20% upcharge, and whatever you devoted to God is yours again (ending the Nazarite vow was slightly different, but the idea is the same). Today, however, I don’t think that God would look too kindly into reclaiming your devotion, as the only thing you have to devote is yourself.

Samantha: Just yesterday I read a really interesting article on Animal Hybrids–the pictures are amazing. I learned that Napoleon Dynamite’s favorite animal, the liger (male lion with a female tigress), actually exists! There’s also a camel-llama hybrid called a “cama,” and the coolest looking zebra and horse combinations called zebriods: the zorse, zonkey, or zetland. These combinations all seem to be with animals in similar families, so I’m not sure if this would fall under what God was talking about when He said, “Do not mate different kinds of animals” (Lev. 19:19). Check out the article to see some amazing photographs of these creatures.

Ryan: It is often very difficult for us to relate to the myriad offerings made by the Israelites day in and day out. They are almost beyond most modern Christians’ comprehension. My NIV Study Bible has a nice little chart in it that breaks down all the different  types of offerings, with the requirements for each along with each one’s purpose. Of the five main types of offerings (burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt), the one that is most like our “offerings” today is the grain offering. Most churches today take up an offering each week that takes the form of a freewill monetary donation. As far as the offerer is concerned, this offering represents a “voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions; devotion to God.” If that description sounds accurate to you, then you may be surprised to learn that that is the exact purpose that the NIV Study Bible prescribes to the grain offering (p. 151). Three of the remaining offerings–burnt, sin, and guilt–are no longer necessary for us, as each of those were for the purpose of atonement for different types of sin (among other purposes). The last one, fellowship, would likely be included also in our freewill monetary offerings today, though theirs included a fellowship meal as well (our church actually does include a fellowship meal most Sundays immediately after the worship service).

Samantha: Like the Passover sacrifice of the family pet, er…lamb, the burnt offering from the herd had a similar connection to the person offering it as a sacrifice. The instruction from God read, “He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him” (Lev 1:4). From today’s perspective it seems creepy to be touching the animal as it is being killed. Growing up I was witness to a cow being killed for a future dinner, but there was no laying on of hands. Through a Bible commentary I learned that the touching was symbolic for the transfer of sin–the person was giving their sin to this animal whose blood would be shed, and that blood would atone for their sin. Not only were they “transferring” their sin, they were watching something die in their place. The animal was their substitute on the bronze altar, being consumed by fire for the Lord. In the New Testament, Hebrews 8-10 shows us how what happened at the tabernacle was foreshadowing: God sent His son Jesus to be our substitute and how He took our sins upon himself on the cross so that he could die once for all. What an amazing sacrifice!

Ryan: I love the opportunity to point out examples of grace and love in the Old Testament. So many people think the Old Testament is all about laws, rules, fire and brimstone, judgment, etc. But near the beginning of chapter 9 of Deuteronomy, we see a perfect example of grace. In verse 4, Moses warns, “After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord has brought be here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.” In other words, “you have done absolutely nothing to deserve this land that God is giving you, but He’s giving it to you anyways.” That is grace. Our inheritance is the same way: our salvation rests with Jesus in that despite the fact that we have done nothing to deserve being saved, if we claim the righteousness of Christ as our own through baptism, we will be given our place in heaven, no thanks to anything we have done. As we learn from Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Samantha: As Moses encourages the people to follow God’s laws he highlights some of the wonderful qualities that our “God above all gods” possesses. The one that caught my attention was, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18). God cares for the orphans and widows–who else will? Until recent decades, a woman and her children would become destitute without a man or son present to provide for the family. In the New Testament, Jesus’ brother James is encouraging the Christians to not just to listen to the word but to take action. James pointed out that, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

Ryan: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. This is the first and most important commandment, according to Jesus (Matthew 22:38): when he was questioned about what the greatest commandment is, he replied by quoting Deuteronomy 6 to them. The Shema, as it is called commonly, is a prayer that observant Jews pray at least twice a day; they take verses 6-9 of chapter 6 literally when it says “…when you lie down and when you get up…” They traditionally say the Shema when they first get up in the morning and right before they go to bed. It is also said that obedient Jews will likely recite the Shema at the time of their death, as to reinforce their faith both to themselves and their attending family. While I do not advocate saying “rote” prayers simply for the sake of saying them, I do find value in having a set prayer that you offer up at very key points of your day or of your life. It can provide that stable guy wire to keep you anchored during a storm.

Samantha: Too often God gets stereotyped as wrathful and quick to judgment, which makes it easy to forget about the side of the Lord that actually delights in us. He doesn’t watch from above ready to strike us down; He truly adores us and wants the best for us. Psalm 17:8 says we are the apple of His eye. Doesn’t it make you feel special to know that “The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deut 7:6b)? We are loved.

Ryan: Throughout the Bible, God uses two “elements” for purification: fire and water. I actually wrote about one such passage during my short-lived Men’s Bible Study on Jeremiah (see chapter 6). Here in Numbers 31 is an example where both are used (we also see both being used in Matthew 3, but we’ll talk about that one when we get there). For the men who participated in the genocide of the Midianites (let’s call it what it is, folks), they had to stay outside the Israelite camp for a week and purify all their equipment and clothing with fire and water. “Gold, silver, bronze…must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing,” (31:22-23). So for God, both fire and water can be used to remove impurities, and while we will likely go into more detail once we get to the New Testament, I will leave you with the following thought: as Christians today, we can all be purified in our daily walk by one of two thing–either trials by fire that burn away the impurities, or by the ever-flowing renewal of living water that is Christ living in us (John 4:13-14).

Samantha: Just yesterday we read how Balaam spoke blessings on Israel and honored the Lord by saying, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth? (23:12).” In today’s reading we find out that Balaam was one of the casualties of God’s wrath on Midian; the Moabite and Midianite women “were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD’s people” (31:16). So, the very man God worked through to bless the Israelites in yesterday’s reading has now turned on God’s people. While it is not explicitly stated, I suppose that since Balaam was not allowed to curse the Israelites that he went with the next best thing–providing a temptation to distract and turn the Israelites away from God.

Ryan: I was struck by Moses’s comment in Numbers 11:29, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” I’m sure that Moses is now–while in heaven–both overjoyed and dismayed because he actually got his wish, but it didn’t seem to help much. Of course, he didn’t get his wish while he was on the earth, but over a thousand years later at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32, 38, & 43). All people today receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when they are baptized, and He gives us daily whatever gifts we need to prophesy (teach) in His name. We also have the gift of free will, so sadly we are also free to disobey and do whatever it is that we wish to do. So, even though we now live in a time when all of the Lord’s people are prophets and have received the Holy Spirit, we still manage to bicker, complain, fight, and sin. I’m sure that’s not quite what Moses had in mind when he made that wish.

Samantha: I am so impressed by how God is teaching the Israelites organizational skills. First he divided them up by tribe, then he placed specific tribes at each side of the tabernacle, then He divided up the work of setting up and tearing down the tabernacle, and now he’s teaching them bugle calls for various instructions (10:1-7). Our own military uses bugle calls; even going back to Roman times militaries used bugles to relay commands and signal scheduled events. There’s a specific call for each daily duty: mail call, mess call, or attention. There are also signals during battles such as the call to charge, change directions, fire, etc. Captain Von Trapp even had a specific call for each of his children! God is slowly teaching the Israelites to respond to specific signals to assemble the leaders and give marching orders to move out. He’s training them to be an army!

Ryan: It says in Exodus 40:16 that “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.” It then walks through the entire set up of the tabernacle for the first time, and after every major step, it says that Moses had done it “as the Lord commanded him.” In only these two chapters (39 & 40), that phrase–or a variation of it–appears seventeen times. Now, most of us do not have the benefit of speaking face-to-face with God as Moses did, but God does give us commands (no, not just the ten read about earlier) through His Word. I would love to be able to say that, when writing an epitaph or biography about me after I depart from this world, someone could say, “Ryan did everything just as the Lord commanded him. He loved the Lord our God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, as the Lord commanded him. He loved his neighbor as himself, as the Lord commanded him. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and gave shelter to the homeless, as the Lord commanded him. He did not look lustfully at a woman who was not his wife, as the Lord commanded him. He loved his enemies, and did not call his brother a fool, just as the Lord commanded him.” Alas, I’m afraid that’s one paragraph that will likely not be in my obituary.

Samantha: I was really confused by the word ‘diadem’. In my mind a diadem is a king’s crown, which makes me think of royalty such as the Queen of England with all those priceless jewels in her crown. But the high priest wasn’t a king, so why did he wear a diadem? “They made the plate, the sacred diadem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses” (39:30-31). I looked up the Hebrew word for diadem and the definition says it is both a crown and a consecration, a visible sign that separates the wearer from the general population. (This same meaning also applied to those that took the Nazarite vow (like Samson)–they never cut their hair as a sign of their consecration.) The high priest had visible signage on his forehead that he was set apart, holy to God. That made me think about how as Christians we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). We are all priests, but we don’t wear an outward diadem; instead God has “anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor 1:21-22). When we’re baptized we’re given the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)–that’s our spiritual sign that identifies us as children of God, set apart from the world.

Ryan: This past Sunday, the finance deacon for our congregation gave us his annual report and budget for 2010. He also mentioned that we are almost half way done in paying off our building loan of a little more than $1 million. Hearing that our building loan (which was for improvements, not the initial build) cost that much amazed me and made me feel mildly ashamed to be sitting in those comfortable pews in the heated auditorium when there are people all around the world who don’t have enough to eat every day. For today’s reading, God had Moses record the exact amounts of most of the raw materials used in building the tabernacle. I added them up, and multiplied those by the current market prices and found the following expenses: $38.8M in gold, $2M in silver, and $16k in bronze (at scrap rate). Then add in the fabrics, dyes, skins/hides, wood (I found a bench made of acacia wood that was about the same size as the table in Exodus 37:10-16 that cost about $350), and not to mention the precious stones. All of this is for materials only. Add in the labor rate for “master craftsmen” (35:30-36:1) and the cost of tools. I estimate that a project of this magnitude would easily cost $60-75 million. The entire area, including the courtyard was approximately 11,250 square feet (about 1/4 acre). This works out to $5.3k-$6.7k per square foot. And the Israelites completed this project without going into debt. (Of course, they did plunder the Egyptians to obtain all of these materials, so there is that….)

Samantha: Moses has the divine blueprints for the tabernacle and has asked the people to help contribute construction supplies. “Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments” (35:21). Not everyone gave, only those who wanted to give. Even without everyone giving they still had so much that “the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work” (36:6b-7). I have yet to hear this passage read during the offering prayer on Sunday, but I hope to hear it more now that everyone (hopefully!) has been following along with daily Bible reading. What’s fascinating to me is that people gave what they wanted to and there was still more than enough. For an application to today, think about how God’s tabernacle today is the human soul–he dwells in us (1 Cor 3:16)! We’re not contributing our money to build a physical dwelling for God; rather, we are bringing our offering to help win others to Christ so that God can dwell in them, too. I know that our congregation gives enough money each week to meet the budget requirements, but what if we stopped thinking about the contribution as a dollar value and started thinking about it as the value of a soul? How much money does it take to reach someone who has never heard that God loves them? How much money does it take to feed a hungry child? How much money does it take to provide a homeless person a winter coat? In my opinion, if all the Christians in Wichita pooled their freewill offerings together there wouldn’t be a homeless problem, no one would go to bed hungry, school kids would have all the school supplies they needed, and so on. We ought to bring whatever “building materials” we can to help Him build up the lost and hurting souls around us.

Ryan: We learned today, among other things, that when Moses was speaking with God, his face would become radiant. It was so radiant that the Israelites were afraid to look at him (34:29-30). We will also learn when we get to the second letter to the Corinthians that the radiance would also fade over time, the longer Moses was away from the presence of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:13). Amazingly, the same is true for us today. Jesus calls us the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) because we should be radiating the glory of God to the rest of the world. So, just as Moses would become more radiant by spending time with God, we should likewise become brighter “lights” by spending more time with God. This includes prayer (talking to God), meditation (listening for God), studying the word (learning about God), and worship (praise of God). The more time we spend doing each of these things will make us more radiant to those around us. But, just as Moses’ radiance would dim over time, so will ours the longer we are away from the Lord.

Samantha: God had threatened to remove His presence from the Israelites, for fear he might destroy them for their sin. I love how Moses phrased his plea for God to reconsider: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (33:15-16, emphasis added). In a world that is filled with hate, disease, poverty, and all sorts of evil, what else is there to distinguish us from everyone else? God. It should show in the way we treat other people, in the words we say, our body language, how kind we are, how we help other people, and so on. The entire world should be able to see a vast difference between Christians and everyone else, and recognize it every time. This made me think of Christians in today’s society and how we’re perceived; growing up I was hurt by the stereotypes that the non-Christian kids had: the nice, helpful Christian kids were “Mormon” and the Christian kids who went out drinking on the weekends were “Catholic”. Lack of consistency in how we live our Christian life confuses those who don’t believe and just proves that religion doesn’t really matter if you can act any way you please. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). If there is nothing visible which separates us from everyone else, how else will people know about God?

Ryan: In today’s reading, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brings Moses’ wife and kids to the Sinai Peninsula for a visit. Now, the Bible states that Jethro was “the priest of Midian” (18:1). It does not go into any more detail than that, but it helps to learn that Midian was a region to the east of Sinai (map) that worshipped a multitude of pagan gods. Since the Bible says he was “the” priest, and not just “a” priest, we can safely infer that he was at least pretty important in the pagan “church” (for lack of a better word). So now the amazing part: Jethro “was delighted” to learn about how the Lord had rescued the Israelites from Egypt, and even offered up a burnt offering to Yahweh, and acknowledged that He is “greater than all other gods” (18:11).

So the question I leave you with today is: if Moses, Aaron, and the elders can sit and break bread with a pagan priest who acknowledges the sovereignty of Jehovah, how is it that Christian denominations–who all purport to worship the same God–can’t even fellowship with each other over such trivial matters as instrumental music or whether or not church buildings can have a kitchen?

Samantha: God uses the daily gathering of food to train the Israelites to rely on Him for all their needs. What I found interesting was the quantity of manna each person was to gather each day–as much as each person needed. “The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed” (Exodus 16:17-18). God gave each person exactly what he needed for that day, and it was consistently there for the entire 40 years (16:35). God does the same thing for us today, which Ryan and I are finding out first hand through our daily Bible blogging! Each day we “gather” His word and are spiritually nourished by it, but each of us gets different things out of the reading. God gives us exactly what we need for each day. I loved the quote from Beth Moore’s A Woman’s Heart: “How deeply our Provider wants us to recognize that He is our daily provision. Our lives could never be sustained on a once-a-week meal; yet we often expect a hearty Sunday serving to be enough to sustain spiritual growth” (p. 43). If we only read His word on Sundays, we could starve spiritually!

At a country fair there was a Buffoon who made all the people laugh by imitating the cries of various animals. He finished off by squeaking so like a pig that the spectators thought that he had a porker concealed about him. But a Countryman who stood by said: “Call that a pig’s squeak! Nothing like it. You give me till tomorrow and I will show you what it’s like.” The audience laughed, but next day, sure enough, the Countryman appeared on the stage, and putting his head down squealed so hideously that the spectators hissed and threw stones at him to make him stop. “You fools!” he cried, “see what you have been hissing,” and held up a little pig whose ear he had been pinching to make him utter the squeals.

“MEN OFTEN APPLAUD AN IMITATION AND HISS THE REAL THING.”

Jesus continues his description of the relationship between he and God the Father by talking about how he has been given power to grant life (v. 26) and the authority to judge all mankind (v. 27). He explains that he–Jesus the human–”can do nothing; I judge only as I hear” (v. 30), meaning that while Jesus is part diety, he’s not the only part. He relies on God and the Spirit to have all the information necessary before judging. Hence his next statement that “my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” illustrates that while there may be a holy triumvirate, Jehovah God reigns supreme. 

The first chapter of Jeremiah introduces us to this boy God calls to be a prophet. God calls him, Jeremiah resists, God insists, Jeremiah reluctantly accepts, God “tests” that the communication between He and the boy is working properly. (“Is this thing on??”) Jeremiah receives his first “real” vision in the form of a boiling pot, pouring down from the North. God interprets this vision for him, indicating that forces from the North are about to come down to Jerusalem and attack and pillage. He also states the reason he is permitting this deluge: “because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made” (v. 16). Reading that reasoning instantly reminded me of Genesis 11–”let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). If there’s one consistent message in the Bible, it is that God doesn’t like it when we start feeling too self-righteous.

Key Verse: Jeremiah 1:12 – “The LORD said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.’” (NIV)

Application for Men: I know that for me, as a still fairly young Christian, I have often used the excuse, “But I am only a child!” to tell God that I can’t do something that I’m called to do. Not in the chronological sense, of course, but in the spiritual. Whether it is teaching a Bible class at church, going on extended mission projects, or even being the spiritual leader in my own home that God calls me to be (Eph. 5:23), I have used my “newness” in Christ as a crutch. But God “is watching to see that [His] word is fulfilled”; God will use us if we’re willing to be used for His purpose. He will ensure that His word is fulfilled–if we don’t do all He asks of us, He’ll ask someone else, but typically not without letting us know that we let Him down. (“‘Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.’” – Jeremiah 1:17)

God’s kingdom is here, Christ is ruling from on high. He needs able men to step up and join the spiritual battle for other men’s (and their own) souls. God has given us what we need for this battle, and will be there every step of the way. “‘Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:8). “‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:19).

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. – Ephesians 6:10-13

Discussion Questions:

1. Why does Jeremiah directly resist God at first? Have you ever resisted doing something that you are fairly certain God wanted you to do? Did you finally do it–as did Jeremiah–or did God have to find someone else to accomplish His work?
2. Which do you think is a more dangerous task–Jeremiah’s task of admonishing/warning the people of Judah of their impending doom, or our task of spreading the Gospel to the lost? Why?
3. What is God’s promise to Jeremiah? What is God’s similar promise to us?

As the time for Passover approached, Jesus went to Jerusalem along with many other faithful Jews. People made pilgrimages from places near and far to the temple at Jerusalem, and often chose not to bring their sacrifice with them. The Jews had a long list of things that had to be sacrificed (korban) for different reasons, so people often just brought money to the temple so they could buy the animal to be sacrificed there. John records there were people selling cattle, sheep, and doves (v. 14), in addition to people exchanging money. Only one type of currency was allowed to purchase these animals, but people naturally brought whatever currency they used at home. So there were people there exchanging peoples’ money for the approved currency, and they often charged a nice “surcharge” for the service.

Side Note:
A similar event happened during Passover week right before Jesus was crucified, as recorded in Matthew 21. This is not the same event, which goes to show how people did not really listen to Jesus this first time.

When Jesus saw all this commotion going on in the outer courts of the temple, he became upset and fashioned a whip out of cords (small ropes) and began to corral the animals out of the courts. He scattered the money and turned over the tables of the money changers and exclaimed, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (v. 16).

The Jews who were there challenged Jesus and asked for him to show them a sign to prove his authority for taking such action. He replies, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” (v. 19). These words will come back to ultimately condemn Jesus at his trial before the Sanhedrin (see Matthew 26). Of course, the Jews did not understand what he meant, since Jesus often talked about things in the spiritual plane rather than the physical. They thought he meant he could rebuild the physical temple at Jerusalem in three days, but of course, he was referring to his ultimate resurrection which did indeed occur in three days (v. 22).

Jesus continued performing “signs” in Jerusalem during Passover and men began to spread word of these signs throughout the region.

Key Verse: John 2:16 – “To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’”

Seed Thought: Oh, that Jesus were in the flesh today! I imagine he would have a few choice words for many of the “televangelists” and other types of so-called Christians that love to profit out of the sacrifices made by unwitting Christians. When a Christian brings his offering to the table every week, that is his humble and feeble attempt to return to God even the tiniest portion of what has been given him. That people turn around and use that money for personal gain–buying yachts, planes, houses, cars, and worse, women, drugs, and sex–is absolutely despicable. As John quotes in verse 17, “Zeal for Your house will consume me” (Psalms 69:9). Now that the temple is destroyed and Christians are the new house of the Lord, how much more important is that zeal? How much stronger do you think God’s ire will burn against those who defile the temple with their love of money?

Upon beginning his ministry, Jesus goes to Capernaum to teach in the synagogue. Reading Mark 1:21-28 adds a little new light to the events that we already looked at from Matthew 8 (January 10). In that passage, we saw a man approach Jesus and ask that his servant be healed because he recognizes Jesus’ power (he said, “For I also am a man under authority”). When I first read that passage, I was a bit confused, because I thought, “what does he mean by ‘I also‘?” Well, Mark sheds some light on it: apparently, right before this happened, Jesus had been in the synagogue in Capernaum and a man possessed by a demon yells at him. He said, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (v. 24). In response, Jesus rebuked the demon and cast him out of the man. The people who witnessed this were amazed at the authority with which Jesus taught. This man was probably a witness to the event that Mark describes but the book of Matthew omits.

The next few verses (v. 29-34) are also found in Matthew 8 with few variations. One interesting difference that Mark records in regards to the demons that Jesus cast out of people was that “he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was” (v. 34).

Mark records an episode where Jesus goes out early in the morning to be alone and pray. When his disciples found him, they told him that everyone was looking for him. Jesus decided instead to go to the neighboring towns to preach. The events of that trip were recorded in Matthew 4:23-25 (January 4). (The book of Matthew is loosely organized by theme, not chronologically, although it is very roughly chronological.)

The last part of this chapter describes the cleansing of a leper that was also recorded in Matthew 8. The leper asks Jesus to heal him if he is willing, which Jesus does. He orders the man not to tell anyone, but to go straight to the priests to show that he had been cleansed (v. 44). Mark records that instead of doing so, the man went around town telling everyone about what had happened. This book indicates that this is the cause of Jesus not being able to roam freely but instead having to stay on the outskirts of town (v. 45); apparently his reputation preceded him.

Key Verse: Mark 1:24 – “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). Demons seem like an odd source from which to receive testimony about the Christ. However, these demons knew at a glance who He was, and they were terrified. Despite this, we’ve read for the past one and a half months about huge numbers of priests and Pharisees who refused to recognize Jesus’ authority. Many religions today are becoming “watered down” and people are turning to a wishy-washy non-committal religion where they believe in God and faith, and that’s about it. If that’s all God means to you, then you’re on par with the demons.

Having just told his disciples about the sign of the end times, Jesus then proceeds to tell them about how He will return and what will happen to the earth. Verse 29 quotes the prophet Isaiah with a descriptive passage about the end of the earth. The sun and moon will go dark (either the sun goes out or a solar eclipse?), stars fall to the earth (comets/meteors?), and the heavenly bodies shaken (Isaiah 13:10, 34:4). At that point, Jesus describes how He will return on (in/as) a cloud and send out His angels to collect the saved from all corners of the globe (v. 30-31).

In the next section, Jesus tells his disciples that the return of the Son of Man will be when we least expect it (v. 36-44). He says, just as when Noah built his ark and the other people kept going on with their daily lives until they got swept up in the flood, so will people just be going on in life until they get swept up by the destruction of the earth. Verses 40 and 41 illustrate the premise behind the Left Behind series (which is not entirely biblical, by the way), by showing that when His angels go out to collect the saved, some will get left behind to face the destruction.

Jesus then gives a quasi-parable to illustrate how we are to live our lives, knowing that He could return at any time. If a servant is faithful to his master when he goes away, when he returns and finds the servant doing his will, the servant will be rewarded. However, if the servant, knowing his master will be gone for a long time, is wicked and eats and drinks with “drunkards,” then he will be severely punished when the master returns unexpectedly. [Did you ever misbehave while your parents were gone only to get caught when they came home earlier than they said they would? Ya, kind of like that only worse...much worse.]

Key Verse: Matthew 24:42 – “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: To expand on my example of misbehaving while the parents are gone, let’s say that your parents go out frequently. Almost every single time they are gone, you are a perfect angel, obeying their every rule and doing the chores they left for you to do. But one time–just one time–you decide that you would rather have friends over to have a party. Well, it just so happens that this one time your parents decided to cut their evening short and return long before they were supposed to. Do you think you won’t get in trouble for this one lapse of judgment just because you were faithful every other time? What if your punishment was going to be severe (no car, no tv, no phone, no computer, no games, no friends, no anything until you graduated school), but your little brother stepped in and takes the blame, taking all the punishment for you? That’s exactly what Jesus Christ will do for us. Even if we are faithful most of the time, we will still be guilty of our occasional lapse of judgment and deserving of a severe punishment. However, Jesus Christ humbled himself and took that punishment for us already. So, we need to examine our relationship with our “little brother” to make sure that he will be willing to take that punishment on our behalf, because if our Father returns before we expect it and our “little brother” says “I don’t know you,” then we’re in heaps of trouble.

As a continuation of yesterday’s reading, Jesus is in the middle of telling the Pharisees and teachers of the law why he pities them and why they will ultimately be judged. Yesterday we read three “woes” (which we learned meant “an interjection of grief or of denunciation”), and today we will look at four more (hmmm… seven… a nice biblical number) and Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees.

First, Jesus says “woe” to the Pharisees because they follow the letter of the law, but not the Spirit of the law. “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (v. 24). The second and third (fifth and six all together) are similar: Jesus points out that they–the Pharisees–try really hard to “look” righteous on the outside, but do nothing to purify their hearts and submit to the mercy of God. “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (v. 27). And the last woe is because they claim heritage from those who killed the prophets. This is woeful, Jesus says, because they will receive the same judgment as those who did the killing–”Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your ancestors!” (v. 32).

Next, Jesus convicts these Pharisees and teachers of the law of the deaths of all the righteous people who were servants of the Lord (including himself). He says that He tried to warn them through prophets, teachers, and sages, but they not only didn’t listen, but they murdered them and they will be condemned for their actions (v. 36).

Finally, Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem because they will not repent and turn back to God. The physical destruction happened in AD 70 under the rule of Titus, but it was somewhat rebuilt (physically) over the next couple hundred years. The spiritual destruction, however, happened when Jesus Christ died on the cross and temple curtain was torn; it has yet to be rebuilt (and will never be rebuilt on Earth). Ever since then, Jerusalem has not been a peacefully Jewish, Christian, or Muslim city–it remains a place of spiritual destruction. Jesus knew that people have a tendency to hold on to physical relics, and that until Jerusalem is destroyed the Jews would not turn to Him; it was therefore necessary to take their Holy City away from them. Ever since that time, most Jews have fought to regain their city, instead of fighting to regain their Lord. This is why Jesus was woeful toward them.

Key Verse: Matthew 23:28 – “In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: Unfortunately, one of the primary causes that keeps people from converting to Christianity are men (and women) who are just like the people Jesus described. People who claim to be Christians–and may go to church every week or even hold a leadership role–but don’t live their Christian life outside of the church building. Non-Christians judge Christians by their behavior, not their words. So when we as Christians do not practice what we preach, or worse, dilute or “dumb down” the word of God, we are like the Pharisees in that we are shutting the door to the kingdom of heaven in the faces of those we come in contact with. We have become the thorns that choke out the seed of God’s word, preventing its growth. It is imperative that we “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, [so that] the outside also will be clean” (v. 26).

Having left Galilee for the region of Judea (back in chapter 19), Jesus and his apostles were in the vicinity of Jericho. While still en route, Jesus once more reminds them that after they get to Jerusalem, he will be captured, made to stand trial, mocked, tortured, and then crucified (v. 18-19).

Whether she was with the entourage of followers or they were near her home, the mother of James and John came to Jesus to ask him a favor (v. 20). She asked him if her two sons could get to sit at His right and left hands at His throne. He asks those two men, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (v. 22), the cup representing the just mentioned suffering and death in Jerusalem. James and John respond by saying that they would, but Jesus lets them down gently by saying that those places (His left and right hands) were not his to give; only God the Father chooses who will sit there (v. 23). [As a side note, James indeed drank that cup, as he was the first of the original twelve to be martyred -- see Acts 12:1-2.] The other ten apostles were naturally upset that they would even ask Jesus this favor, but Jesus calls them aside and reminds them that “their high officials” (meaning the Gentile rulers and patriarchs) were very oppressive and their mother just wanted them to finally rule over them for a change. Jesus again reminds them about the whole first=last thing by saying, “whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 27-28).

As they were leaving Old Jericho and entering New Jericho, two blind men approached Jesus and asked to have their eyes opened. Jesus showed mercy to them and touched their eyes and their sight was restored (v. 34).

Key Verse: Matthew 20:26b – “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: One of the key themes of the New Testament and indeed Christianity itself is that Jesus Christ humbled himself for our sakes. We sent him to the cross to die in our place, a position he took on reluctantly but willingly. If we want to also be in heaven with Jesus, we must try to emulate Him in all things; serve others as just Jesus served. Being concerned with what people think about us in this world is a sure path to destruction (Philippians 3:19).

At the end of yesterday’s selection, we saw Jesus casting a demon out of a man and the lookers-on were asking if Jesus could be the prophesied Messiah. To answer their question, the apparently ever-present Pharisees speak up and say that it is by Satan that Jesus is able to cast out demons (v. 24). Jesus retorts by asking them how a divided nation can stand; he says, “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” (v. 26). He continues by saying that if you’re not with me, you’re against me (starting to sound like Hollywood here) and anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven of their sin. Even speaking against Jesus himself, he says, is forgivable but not against the Spirit (v. 30-32). Jesus continues laying on the judgment by calling the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” that are evil to the core; nothing good can come out of an evil heart.

After this, some of the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. He responds by saying, in essence, “Oh, you’ll get a sign alright, but not the kind you’re thinking about.” He says that the only sign they will see is the “Sign of Jonah.” Jesus is here predicting his death and resurrection when he says that just as “Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (v. 40). However, he says, Nineveh repented when Jonah preached to them, but they (the Jews) are not repenting when Jesus–who is greater than Jonah–is standing right in front of them! Likewise, Jesus comments, the Gentiles will rise up to condemn the Jews for their unbelief, just as the pagan Queen of Sheba from Africa listened to the wisdom of Solomon and blessed his God.

Finally, when Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are waiting for him outside, he replied that anyone who does the will of the Father is his mother and brothers.

Key Verse: Matthew 12:33 – “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: God indeed knows what is in our heart, and we can not fool him like we can fool the world. If our roots are rotten, as were the Pharisees’, then we will not produce good fruit. The way the world gets to see God is through our actions, so it is vital that we keep our “tree” healthy. As verse 34 points out, good people do good things because of the good that lives in them while evil people do evil things because of the evil that lives in them. We have the power–provided by God–to drive out our own demons (metaphorically) and allow Christ to live in us to help us produce that good fruit.

Peter, Andrew, James and John.
Next came Philip, Thomas too, Matthew and Bartholomew.
James the one they called the less, Simon, also Thaddeus,
The twelfth apostle Judas made, Jesus was by him betrayed.

That children’s song (set to the tune of “Jesus Love Me”) pretty much sums up the first 4 verses of Matthew 10. The important part that the children’s song leaves out is verse 1 – Jesus gave these twelve men the ability to cast out demons and heal any manner of sickness or disease. Jesus gave twelve of his disciples a mission to go out and use those powers to proclaim the message that “The kingdom of heaven has come near” (v. 7). That assignment made these disciples “apostles” (αποστολος), meaning a “messenger, or one sent forth with orders.” They were ordered to preach only to the Jews at this point, not to the Gentiles or Samaritans (who were usually mixed blood between Jew and Gentile).

The apostles were to take nothing with them, including no money, no extra clothes, no bag for belongings or even a staff or shoes (these people must have had incredibly tough feet). They were to find a “worthy person” to stay with in whatever town they ended up in, and stay there until their work was finished (v. 11). Jesus said that if no one in the town would listen to them, they should just “shake the dust off your feet,” meaning don’t worry about it and move on (v. 14). He said that those towns would meet a fate worse than Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 15).

Jesus knew that the mission he was sending them on was not an easy one, and that people would not respond well–he said they were like sheep among wolves (v. 16). He foretold that they would be brought before kings and governors and be forced to give an account. However, he told the apostles not to worry about what they would say, because God the Father in heaven would speak for them (v. 19-20).

Key Verse: Matthew 10:8b – “Freely you have received, freely give.” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: Jesus gave his apostles great power over things to spread the message of the coming of the kingdom, and the apostles were to heal and cure and cast out demons abundantly with that power. Although we have not been given those same powers, the Lord God has given us everything we have including possessions and skills and talents. We also are to use everything He has given us to help find the “lost sheep” and bring them to Jesus.

While Jesus was in the middle of talking to John’s disciples regarding fasting, an official from the local synagogue approached him and asked that Jesus come and heal his daughter, who had just died (v. 18). He was on the way to the official’s house when a woman approaches him who had been suffering from a bleeding disease for twelve years. She believed that if she only could touch Jesus’ cloak that she would be healed (v. 21). As she reached for his cloak, Jesus turned around and told the woman that her faith had healed her, and her disease was gone (v. 22). He arrives at the official’s house and tells the large group of mourners to go away, since the girl was not dead, but rather only sleeping. They laughed at him, but Jesus went in anyways and grabbed the girl’s hand. When he did, the girl was brought back to life and she got up. Matthew states that the news of this event spread all over the area (v. 26).

Again, Jesus starts walking (presumably to a new town) and is soon interrupted by two blind men calling after him asking for his mercy. They followed him inside and he asked them if they believed that he could heal their blindness. When they replied that they did, he touched their eyes and their blindness was gone (v. 29-30). Likewise, a mute whose ability to speak was caused by a demon was brought to Jesus who then cast out the demon and the man regained his speech. The Pharisees were skeptical, however, they believed that the reason he could cast out demons was that he was the prince of demons, not the Son of God (v. 34).

Finally, Jesus continued roaming the area, healing the sick and casting out demons, but lamented on how many down-trodden citizens there were. He then tells his disciples that there are many people who need help, but not enough “workers.” He tells them to pray that God provide more workers (v. 37-38). We’ll see tomorrow how God answers that prayer.

Key Verse: Matthew 9:38 – “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (TNIV)

Seed Thought: Even in today’s “Information Age” where most countries have access to the Internet and satellite television, God still has a need for face-to-face workers. Churches have become complacent about staying in their nice warm, comfortable church buildings, at the sacrifice of the church’s first love–seeking and saving the lost. Mission work should be a church’s first priority after taking care of its own body.