Month: April 2017

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JOSHUA 24:1-33 | LUKE 21:1-28 | PSALM 89:38-52 | PROVERBS 13:20-23

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Joshua is now an old man of a 110 years, and he calls for a meeting of the leaders and judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The meeting place is Shechem, the place that Joseph’s remains were brought back from Egypt and buried.  It was actually a tract of land that Jacob, aka, Israel, Joseph’s father had once purchased, and it is here that Joshua summons the people to have this meeting. 

The purpose of the meeting is to give unto the people what the Lord has commanded Joshua to tell them:  their history and a renewal of the covenant that God had made with their forefathers.

And so, Joshua begins from the very beginning.  He tells them of how this man called Abraham who once lived “beyond the Euphrates river,” which is modern-day Iraq, was befriended by God one hot summer day.  A covenant was made with Abraham to make him a father of many nations, and in his old-age, his wife Sarah, 90 years old at the time conceives and bears a son and they call him Isaac—meaning ‘laughter’, because Sarah had first laughed when her husband Abraham told her that they would have a son. 

After Isaac’s birth, Abraham’s faith is tested when he is asked to sacrifice his one and only son, and when he passes this test, God continues to bless Abraham and his descendants.  Isaac marries Rebekah who bears him twin boys:  Jacob and Esau, Jacob being the second-born.  While Esau proves to be a man of shallow temperament who is quick to sell his inheritance to his brother for a bowl of stew, Jacob gets the lion’s share of his father’s blessing, and goes on to become the father of twelve sons—the twelve who are the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, and from whom the entire Jewish race has originated.

Jacob and Rachel build a home together and raise their eleven boys, the last of which is Joseph, the apple of his father’s eye.  But Joseph’s ten brothers scheme to be rid of him and do the unthinkable:  they sell him into slavery in Egypt.  Jacob is devastated, but God does not forget the covenant that he has made to him to bless him and prosper him, and in the most amazing of circumstances, it so happens that God is with Joseph through the most horrific of ordeals and raises him up to become an influential official within Pharaoh’s kingdom. 

And in an even more amazing series of events, it is because of his station that Joseph is able to come to the aid of his brothers and family, and there is in time, a great reunion.  Jacob and Rachel, and Joseph’s eleven brothers (Benjamin, the youngest of Joseph’s sons is born after Joseph’s disappearance) come to be with Joseph and make Egypt their adopted homeland thanks in no small measure to Joseph’s largess.

But Joseph eventually passes on and the native Egyptians forget who these Jewish people living amongst them are, and over time, the Jewish aliens in Egypt are reduced to slaves.  They spill their blood, sweat and tears in building the great pyramids and the many architectural marvels of ancient Egypt, and the years roll by. 

And then one day, God looks to see the state of these people—descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and takes pity on them.  These were the people with whose ancestors was the great covenant made, but here they were wasting away in slavery.  And so, God raises up Moses—a Hebrew child who had been raised as an Egyptian prince—to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt back to their homeland, nay, the “promised land”.  Moses is the leader of these brow-beaten Israelites, and in a most miraculous series of happenstances, Moses leads this great exodus out of Egypt.

For forty years, Moses serves as God’s mouthpiece and holds together the children of Israel even as he leads them forward to the land of Canaan.  But Moses breathes his last before he can lead them through the promised land, and the baton is now passed on to Joshua.  Joshua then completes the great mission of bringing the people into this land flowing with milk and honey, and in undertaking the grave responsibility of distributing the land among the twelve tribes.  The people are now completely settled, and Joshua is near the end of his life. 

It is now that he gathers all the people together and says this to them: ¹⁴ “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

And so the great covenant that was first established with Abraham, and then renewed with Isaac and Jacob, is now renewed in this place called Shechem:  the Lord God would continue to honor the promise made to their forefathers and to flourish them in this new land, which was now to be their homeland.  This is the final message that Joshua delivers to the children of Israel before he breathes his last.

Next, turning to our study of the book of Luke, we see Jesus continuing in his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing.  There is the story of the poor widow who gives in the Temple the only thing she has, i.e., her last coin.  Jesus makes an example of her to all the self-righteous folks of the day.  He then goes on to speak to the matter of the end-times, and as mysterious as all this may seem, we are left with only what Jesus has said, and it is up to us to discern the days that we live in to wonder if these might perhaps be the end times indeed. 

Jesus says this:  ²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Changing gears again, we see that our Psalm for the day is a continuation of a long one from the one we read yesterday.  In this part of the psalm, David is pleading to God to be his help and refuge.  Not unlike many of us in our dark hour, David, the great poet-king of Isarel says:

⁴⁶ How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember how fleeting is my life.
   For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸ Who can live and not see death,
   or who can escape the power of the grave?
⁴⁹ Lord, where is your former great love,
   which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

Finally, we have four verses for our reading from the book of Proverbs, but the one that I wish to present here is this one:

²⁰ Walk with the wise and become wise,
   for a companion of fools suffers harm.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JOSHUA 22:21-23:16 | LUKE 20:27-47 | PSALM 89:14-37 | PROVERBS 13:17-19

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²⁹ “Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle.” 

That is what the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to Phineas, the priest, and the heads of the other ten tribes that came out to meet them when they learned that an altar had been built on the banks of the Jordan. 

It had been wrongly presumed that the altar was for the worship of other gods, and when they are confronted about it, it turns out that these three tribes have actually done no wrong.  On the contrary, they have exercised much forethought to build a legacy that would ensure goodwill between themselves and their descendants in Gilead and their brethren across the Jordan in Canaan. 

Let it not be said that these three tribes are no longer the children of Israel.  Let it instead be said that these three tribes did indeed choose to inhabit the other side of the Jordan, and yet they worshiped the very same God of Israel, and this altar that is built is a replica of the one that the larger group of their brethren also have amongst them. 

These were wise people indeed, and when all is examined by Phineas and the others, peace and understanding prevails among all, and the new altar is given a name by its builders:  A Witness Between Us—that the LORD is God.

And so the text tells us that the children of Israel populate these new lands on either side of the Jordan, and with time, Joshua gets old and prepares to bid his farewells to the people.  He says to them, ⁹ “The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. ¹⁰ One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. ¹¹ So be very careful to love the LORD your God. 

A simple exhortation it is:  be careful to love the LORD your God. 

And to this day, I daresay that many in the modern nation of Israel still hold true to this claim that Joshua made to the children of Israel more than three thousand years ago:  to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 

It is still indeed the Lord their God that fights on their behalf even as they are surrounded on all sides by nations today that do not even recognize their existence as a nation-state.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…

Turning to our reading in the book of Luke, we encounter still more entrapment-type questions posed by the leaders of the Temple to Jesus.  Legalistic as they are, they come up with hypothetical scenarios and quote Moses’ Law in asking how this, what about that, why thus, and sundry such questions.  Jesus patiently hears them out and always provides an answer which usually leaves them speechless. 

Today, they want to know whose wife would this woman really be when she meets all seven of her husbands in heaven?  How does this even matter?  Of what relevance is it to the way in which you conduct yourself while on this earth?  Well, regardless, Jesus goes on to indulge them by answering in a most straightforward manner:  there will be no marriage-like relationships in heaven; we will recognize each other, but we will not be given in marriage to one another or resume our relationships over there. 

Is that clear enough?  So, that woman that you’re wondering about, she’s going to be nobody’s wife; case closed!

Later, Jesus pauses to tell his disciples this:  ⁴⁶ “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”  No mincing of words there either—Jesus is telling it like it is!

David’s Psalm for the day is one filled with great praise for the covenant that the Lord has established with his forefathers, and the faithfulness by which it has been honored so far, and the great confidence that it will last for all the ages to come.  David is recounting his own role in this majestic scheme of things in how he has been chosen to serve as king of Israel. 

He is not a firstborn and yet he is chosen despite being the youngest of Jesse’s sons; it is a mere shepherd boy who is chosen to be eventually anointed as king, and it is David’s line that is directly traced to the earthly parents of God incarnate, Joseph and Mary.  David recounts this in a style that reflects a dialog between God and himself:

²⁰ I have found David my servant;
   with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
²¹ My hand will sustain him;
   surely my arm will strengthen him.

²² The enemy will not get the better of him;
   the wicked will not oppress him.
²³ I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down his adversaries.
²⁴ My faithful love will be with him,
   and through my name his horn will be exalted.
²⁵ I will set his hand over the sea,
   his right hand over the rivers.
²⁶ He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
   my God, the Rock my Savior.’
²⁷ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
   the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
²⁸ I will maintain my love to him forever,
   and my covenant with him will never fail.
²⁹ I will establish his line forever,
   his throne as long as the heavens endure.

There are three verses for today from the book of Proverbs.  Each might seem quite obvious in meaning, and yet it is usually the obvious that bears repeating:

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
   but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸ Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,
   but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
   but fools detest turning from evil.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JOSHUA 21:1-22:20 | LUKE 20:1-26 | PSALM 89:1-13 | PROVERBS 13:15-16

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The Levites were initially not to receive any land allotted to them during the great distribution that Joshua carries out.  However, it is now determined that Aaron’s descendants also need a place to call their own, and so what happens is that each of the eleven tribes who have already received their inheritance give out of it to the tribe of Levi. 

And so Chapter 21 ends like this:  ⁴³ So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴⁴ The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Next we learn of a curious happenstance.  The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh decide they wish to return to Gilead, the area before the crossing of the river Jordan where they had initially set up camp for a long time before entering the ‘promised land’.  Moses had agreed to their request to claim this land for their permanent home, but had advised that they join the rest in the initial migration into the land of Caanan and after the children of Israel were established in that place, they could return. 

Well, apparently the time had come for the return, and this large group of people bid their farewells to their brethren, and head east to Gilead.  And when they are close to approaching their destination, on this side of the banks of the Jordan, they prepare an altar for the purpose of offering thanksgiving to a god other than Yahweh.  This is presumed because when Joshua and the others hear about it, they are outraged at this heresy. 

A contingent is sent at once to stop this madness!  How can it be that their brethren are thinking of worshiping other gods?  Have they no fear?  Have they no memory?  Have they no devotion?  No loyalty?  Are they out of their minds in jeopardizing a good thing after all that they’ve been through? 

These must have been the thoughts that rushed through the minds of Joshua and his men, and the text tells us that this is exactly what they tell these unfaithful brethren of theirs when they meet up with them.  They say:

‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? ¹⁷ Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the LORD! ¹⁸ And are you now turning away from the LORD? ‘If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. ¹⁹ If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the LORD’s land, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God.

Turning next to our reading in the book of Luke, we see Jesus continuing with his ministry of teaching and preaching everywhere that he goes.  While the poor masses hang onto every word that he says and have complete and implicit faith in this godman whose miracles never cease to amaze, there are also the crafty elders of the Temple who follow Jesus for the sole purpose of attempting to trap him with his own words in order to find substantial grounds for arrest and possible execution.  Blasphemy and heresy were sins punishable by death, as everyone knew, of course.

And so, we find here today yet another attempt at entrapment.  Jesus is asked a direct question, and Jesus replies with another direct question, but these good and upright elders of the Temple are unable to answer directly.  And as if to further make his point about how sorry the lot of them are, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard and the tenants—a not-so-indirect-way of telling the righteous upholders of the Law that they are in essence the wicked tenants– wicked to the point of becoming murderers. 

It is his own death that Jesus is foretelling, and from the look and reaction of the elders, it is clear that the nail has hit the mark.  They know that Jesus is referencing them in that story, and they are now even more eager to bring charges—any charges against this man in order that they might arrest him and put him to death. 

Well, they do succeed in doing just that, as we will soon find out.  Woe is unto them, yes, and woe is unto all of Israel for taking the son of the owner of the vineyard and killing him in cold blood!

We will await the story of how exactly this is accomplished, but before that, we learn of one more thing that Jesus unequivocally states when presented with yet another of those entrapment questions.  They want to know if he supports paying taxes to the Roman rulers.  And Jesus’ answer to them (and to us!) is yes, pay those taxes, there’s no escaping them, just pay them and be done with it! 

Thank you, Jesus, for that clear answer.  (I will pay them alright, but did you also mean that I ought not protest if the taxes are raised every so often?!)

The Psalm of the day is one that is attributed to Ethan, the Ezrahite.  The Psalms are a collection of writings, many of them authored by king David, and some by others, one of them being Ethan.  This is a beautiful psalm of praise, and the first few verses are wondrous in their unabashed tone of worship.  Ethan says:

¹ I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
² I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
³ You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴ ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

Finally, the two verses from the book of Proverbs authored by king Solomon are worthy of reflection:

¹⁵ Good judgment wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.

¹⁶ All who are prudent act with knowledge,
   but fools expose their folly.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

Click Here For Today’s Reading

JOSHUA 19:1-20:9 | LUKE 19:28-48 | PSALM 88:1-18 | PROVERBS 13:12-14

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The land distribution project has finally been completed.  Each of the twelve tribes gets a substantial portion of the “promised land” in Canaan which includes in many instances several already established towns and villages. 

After completing this task of allotment, the people of Israel insist that Joshua also be assigned something for himself, and so the text tells us this:  They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serahin the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

There is also an account of six “cities of refuge” that are designated for the purpose of providing refuge for any person who is condemned to otherwise die a death by stoning.  Condemned because they had intentionally or unintentionally taken the life of another, but the law demanded an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, remember? 

That meant that if you had killed even in self-defense or perhaps unintentionally, you still paid the price for it by giving up your own life.  A life for a life was the basic rule.  Until this small caveat in the law was established.  This piece of instruction was actually given to Moses in anticipation of the new life that the children of Israel were to soon enter into in the land of Canaan.  But it is Joshua who is now establishing it for the people. 

Six cities are identified for this purpose, and as the text tells us, ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

Was this an introduction to the concept of forgiveness?  To let a man go free despite what the Law demanded?  I see Grace creeping in.  And Mercy is obviously unabashedly making an appearance.

Turning next to our reading in the book of Luke, we find the account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem just days before he is arrested on false charges, tried by a spineless Roman prefect, convicted of sedition and heresy, and condemned to a horrific execution by crucifixion.  Jesus enters on a donkey, a most humble animal.  He comes in peace to offer peace.  But alas, the people know it not. 

As he enters, he weeps for Jerusalem, we are told, and he says this about her: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

The rich and the powerful did not recognize the time of God’s coming indeed, but the poor masses did.  They cried out in joy to see Jesus.  The Sadducees and the Pharisees are quick to tell them to stop this celebration, but Jesus rightly says to them, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Our Psalm for the day is one in which David is crying out to God in what appears to be a rough time in his life.  The poet-king employs a touch of sarcasm in his pleas to God.  He says:

I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.

¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
¹² Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

As vehement as he is with these pleas, we know that he is just as vehement in offering up his praises to the Lord God Almighty.

Our verses from the book of Proverbs for today are packed with wisdom.  They are, all three reproduced here:

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. 

¹³ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,
but whoever respects a command is rewarded. 

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
   turning a person from the snares of death.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.