Category: More Than Bread

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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.

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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.

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JOSHUA 16:1-18:28 | LUKE 19:1-27 | PSALM 87:1-7 | PROVERBS 13:11

The land-allotment to the tribes continues.  Joshua employs a variety of means from executive decision to mutual talks, to casting lots in order to identify and determine who gets what.  There is an account of a set of sisters who ask and get their little piece of the sun as well.  This is noteworthy in a society that treated women unequally compared to men, let alone allow property inheritance to women.  It is to be seen if this is the end of the distribution of the land or there are still other land issues that need to be addressed.

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we find the interesting story of Zacchaeus, the tax-collector.  Short of stature but long on curiosity, Zacchaeus climbs atop a tree in order to get a better look at this miracle-man called Jesus.  Zacchaeus himself had no illness or need of any favors to ask of Jesus and therefore did not feel a need to approach Jesus directly, but Jesus knows that he is up in the tree, and looks up to tell him that he’d like to come to dinner to his house.  Imagine that! 

Zacchaeus scrambles down the tree and evidently so overwhelmed is he that he tells Jesus, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 

That is the impact Jesus has on the true believer!  It is the least that one can do when you realize what the Lord has done for you!  And Jesus seems to go out of his way to make the case time and again about how the Kingdom of God is not limited to the good and upright.  On the contrary, it is especially open to even the most despicable of persons—such as Zacchaeus. 

And Jesus says to him:  “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Next, there is another parable about the rich man and the ten minas:  a story of stewardship.  Of the three who are given the same amount for safekeeping and wise investment, two of the three use their discretion in growing substantially what is entrusted to them and return to their master ten-fold and five-fold.  But one of them does nothing more than keep the one mina safe and returns it as is to the master. 

While the master is very pleased at the first two and rewards them handsomely, he is highly displeased with the one who simply returns the initial amount to him.  There is no reward for this steward; instead, there is a reprimand, and the one who excelled in the duty of stewardship is further rewarded with the mina that is taken away from this last steward. 

Jesus says:  ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’  Jesus’ point is that when one is endowed with gifts and talents, it behooves the recipient of those gifts to use them wisely and to grow those with hard work.  Initiative and good efforts pay off, as we well know.  And yet, lack of the same will result in utter loss and shame.

Our psalm for today is an interesting one, and I needed to look up commentary in order to understand better its many meanings.  Scholars believe that it is about two Jerusalems:  Zion, aka, Jerusalem is the holy city of God and where Solomon eventually built the Temple.  And the second Jerusalem in verses 4 through 6 are supposedly meant to signify the church of Christ, aka, Christians from throughout the world.  It is possible to be “born in Zion” in a figurative way, i.e., to be born again in Christ which would allow your name to be written in the “register of the peoples” or the Book of Life.

Finally, our one verse from the book of Proverbs for the day is another one about money.  There is much to be said regarding the value of saving slowly but surely, the very sentiment voiced earlier in the story of the minas.  The verse is:

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away,
   but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

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

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JOSHUA 15:1-63 | LUKE 18:18-43 | PSALM 86:1-17 | PROVERBS 13:9-10

If you ever wondered about the distribution and allotment of land between the twelve tribes of Israel—most likely a quarter million population by this time—well, there was certainly much to wonder about: in terms of who got what, how much, and so on.  And so, we find in this chapter a further detailing of this land-distribution project. 

It was not so much a project as much as a work in progress, I suppose, with people coming to Joshua and asking if they could have this or that, or that they didn’t want that or this.  Whatever the case, Joshua most likely did his best, and we have here in particular, details about the land allotted to the tribe of Judah.

Turning to our reading in the book of Luke, we find the famous story of the rich man who approaches Jesus to ask what he must do to obtain eternal life.  He is evidently following the Law as he tells Jesus, but when asked if he would give away his wealth to the poor and follow Jesus, the rich young man is unable to do so.  Peter is quick to point out that he along with the other disciples have done just that, i.e., given it all up in order to follow Jesus. 

There is a touch of hubris that we sense in Peter’s statement, but Jesus doesn’t point it out, and says instead to him (and to everyone who reads these words):  ²⁹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰ will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus continues with his ministry of healing as he moves through the regions of Galilee and Judea.  There is the story of the blind beggar who hears of Jesus passing by and cries out to Jesus, Lord, I want to see!  Such a plaintive, simple request—spoken in implicit faith.  This beggar had not witnessed any of the miracles that Jesus had been performing throughout the lands; he had only heard of Jesus’ fame, but that was enough for him to believe that this man Jesus could do something for him too! 

And so, he cries out to Jesus—helpless as he is sitting on the side of the road, listening to the crowd passing by, hope is aroused within him, and he cries out for the greatest need that he has:  sight. 

And Jesus stops to listen to him, and says to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”  Just like that!  Ask and it shall be given unto you…

David’s psalm for the day is a beautiful song of praise.  His words remind you of the blind beggar we just encountered.  Like David, the beggar also would most likely have had these very thoughts and might have offered these words of praise to God.  David says:

⁷ When I am in distress, I call to you,
   because you answer me.

The blind beggar would have also echoed these other words of David from this same psalm:

¹² I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
   I will glorify your name forever.
¹³ For great is your love toward me;
   you have delivered me from the depths,
   from the realm of the dead.

And finally, our two verses from the book of Proverbs for today are certainly worthy of reading and remembering:

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly,
   but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰ Where there is strife, there is pride,
   but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

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

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JOSHUA 13:1-14:15 | LUKE 18:1-17 | PSALM 85:1-13 | PROVERBS 13:7-8

Joshua is getting to be old, and it has been forty-five years since he was first commissioned by Moses to scout out the territories of Canaan that he eventually led the children of Israel into.  At the age of 85, Joshua says he is still just as strong as he was when he first came here, and he continues to serve as leader of the people. 

The chapter starts out with God telling him that there are yet lands to be explored and taken, and it is to be seen if Joshua will carry this out in the days to come.  In the meantime, he attends to some other unfinished business:  some of the lands east and west of the river Jordan are further distributed and awarded to the various tribes of Israel.

Turning to our reading in Luke, we see Jesus continuing to teach with parables or stories with a deeper meaning.  There is at first, the parable of the persistent widow who refuses to go away despite being denied.  Finally, the judge she has been crying out to, out of a sheer sense of exasperation grants her plea.  To this, Jesus says how much more would God do for his children who cry out to him day and night.  There is certainly something to said for perseverance!

Then there is the parable of the pharisee and the tax-collector.  The Pharisee being the upright and self-righteous pillar of society, and the tax-collector known for his cheating ways, both find themselves praying side-by-side in the Temple.  And while the Pharisee is quick to praise himself for this circumspect behavior, the tax-collector simply prays for mercy and forgiveness. 

Jesus says this of the two:  ¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus’ love of children is also evident from this passage.  While his disciples are quick to shoo away those who bring their children to seat on Jesus’ lap, Jesus himself welcomes them and tells his disciples not to turn them away. 

He says:  “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

Like little children full of faith and devoid of fear, we are to likewise accept the gift of God into our own hearts.  Doing so will usher in the kingdom of God into our hearts and lives.

Next, in our Psalm for the day, David the consummate poet, sings the praises of the Lord.  He says:

¹⁰ Love and faithfulness meet together;
   righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
   and righteousness looks down from heaven.
¹² The LORD will indeed give what is good,
   and our land will yield its harvest.
¹³ Righteousness goes before him
   and prepares the way for his steps.

May it always be so!

And finally, a most suitable verse from the book of Proverbs just in time for Tax Day, April 15th^!

⁷ One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
   another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

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

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JOSHUA 11:1-12:24 | LUKE 17:11-37 | PSALM 84:1-12 | PROVERBS 13:5-6

Joshua is evidently a fearless leader, and continues to do battle with the many native kingdoms in the land of Canaan.  There is great bloodshed and total decimation of kings, people, houses, and everything in it. 

The text reads:  ¹⁶ So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, ¹⁷ from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. ¹⁸ Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. ¹⁹ Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. ²⁰ For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

It appears things were going according to plan.  By the end of this chapter, it appears that we are more or less finished with the business of invasion and conquering of the natives, and a distribution of the “inheritance” of the land is made to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Turning next to our reading in the book of Luke we find the fascinating story of ten lepers who approach Jesus for healing.  Jesus simply tells them to go and show themselves to a priest, meaning to have themselves checked for whether or not they had the disease—the implication being that they would be pronounced “clean”.  It was the priests’ verdict that condemned or cleared you. 

And so, all ten promptly go to the priest and are evidently pronounced to be free from the leprosy, yet it is only one of the ten—and a Samaritan at that, i.e., from Samaria, an area in the north that was looked down upon by the people in the southern kingdom of Judah—that returns to seek out Jesus in order to tell him a big ‘thank you.’

One out of the ten!  Yes, all ten had the faith to believe that they would be healed when they heard Jesus instruct them to go to the priest, and yes, all ten followed Jesus’ instructions promptly, and possibly all ten praised the man they called Jesus to have done so great a miracle for them, and yes, they possibly all went on to live good and productive lives following their miraculous recovery to normalcy and good health, but it was only one of the ten who thought of immediately going back to seek out Jesus and tell him how grateful he was, and to thank him for what was done! 

Jesus says to this man:  “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus goes on to speak about the Kingdom of God, and gives a new twist to the traditional understanding of the term:  this is not just Heaven or some far-off place, it is right here, right now, and within you, he says. 

Do you follow?  When the light of the world, i.e., Jesus enters your heart, that in a way, is the kingdom of God, and it is already within you!

Jesus then goes on to predict the end-times when there will be a second coming, but not before there is a death and a resurrection.  All these concepts are easy for us to comprehend because we have had the benefit of hindsight and know what to expect, but the people that Jesus was speaking to must surely been perplexed when they heard him speak about these things, and yet, Jesus tries to help them out by reminding them of their own history of similar sudden incidents and people of yore such as Noah and Lot.

Be on guard, be always prepared, be aware of your prophets who have come to you to tell you to repent, listen before it is too late is what Jesus is saying to them.

Turning next to the Psalms, we find David’s psalm for today is one of great praise.  He is utterly devoted to the God of his fathers, and spares no emotion in voicing his praise.  He says:

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
¹² LORD Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.

And finally, the two verses for the day from the book of Proverbs are worth reproducing here although one might think that the essence of the message they bear is an obvious one.  Yet, it is sometimes the obvious that we need reminding of:

⁵ The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked make themselves a stench
and bring shame on themselves. 

⁶ Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

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

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JOSHUA 9:3-10:43 | LUKE 16:19-17:10 | PSALM 83:1-18 | PROVERBS 13:4

The chapter starts out with an account of how some natives of the land scheme for survival when they become aware of the approaching Israelites.  These people are called Gibeonites and they come to Joshua as if they have come from afar and ask to live among them.  Soon, larger groups of Gibeonites join them and it then becomes clear that these are actually people from a neighboring kingdom who are slowly assimilating themselves among the Israelites. 

When Joshua becomes aware of this, he is obviously displeased at being duped by the Gibeonites who had secured a peace treaty of sorts with the people of Israel deceitfully.  Nonetheless, Joshua allows the Gibeonites to remain with them and gives to them the occupations of woodcutter and water carrier.

But as crafty as the Gibeonites were in their ways of survival and in transforming themselves into allies with the Israelites, they were despised by the other neighboring kingdoms in Canaan.  And so, we learn of five kingdoms that join forces with the view to make battle with the people of Gibeon.  And what does Gibeon do?  They send word to their brothers-cum-comrades, the Israelites to ask for help!  And help does come to them from Israel.  Joshua takes his men, and they go up to the hill-country to meet these armies who have beseiged Gibeon.  And they are triumphant. 

Israel decimates the five kingdoms, but only with some divine help.  Joshua asks the Lord for continued daylight so as to continue and complete the battle.  And so God allows the sun to stand still for an entire day.  This was nothing short of a miracle—the kind that defies logic and reason, but then if one believes in miracles of the most extraordinary kind like the parting of the Red Sea and the staying of the River Jordan, not to mention the many amazing miracles that occurred in Egypt and throughout the long exodus of the people of Israel, then this latest miracle of the sun standing still for an entire day is yet another miracle to behold.

And so, the five Amorite kings are captured and killed, and several other areas conquered.  This is what the text says about Joshua’s domination and establishment of the Israelites in the land of Canaan: ⁴⁰ So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. ⁴¹ Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. ⁴² All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Turning next to our reading in Luke, we hear of the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  It is a sad story of a rich man who paid no attention to Lazarus, the beggar, who sat outside the gates to his house.  But in the afterlife, when he finds himself burning up in the depths of hellfire, he cries out to Abraham—with whom Lazarus appears to be seated—for a drop of water, but alas, he is denied. 

He further goes on to plead that Lazarus be sent down as an emissary from Heaven to warn his family about Hades, but to this, Abraham says:  ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’

This, unfortunately, was the state of affairs of the people of the day.  The people of Israel knew their history and were acutely aware of the miracles performed by Moses, their leader, and the wondrous history of their exodus during which time God himself spoke to them.  And yet, so cynical have they now become that even the raising of the dead that Jesus himself performs on many an occasion is viewed with non-belief and even callous dismissal.  Abraham is right—if they didn’t believe Moses and now Jesus himself, who is to say that they would have believed Lazarus if he were to come down from heaven to tell them about the kingdom of God?

Changing topics now, Jesus speaks to the act of forgiveness.  He says:  “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”  

This is what the Lord commands, and therefore this is what we must aspire to.  It is, of course, easier to grant forgiveness when it is asked of you; however, how much greater is it to grant it even before the person asks it of you– is that feasible?  And if it is never asked for, do you then have no obligation to forgive?  I don’t know, but it is probably better to err on the side of forgiveness regardless of whether it is sought.

David’s Psalm for the day is one is which he recounts the history of God’s faithfulness to his people, the children of Israel, right from the time of Abraham and Lot, to the days of Joshua’s conquest of the Midianites and the Assyrians.  David, the warrior-king, is calling out to the God of his fathers in his own hour of need as he most likely faces the ill will of an advancing enemy.  As always, he is passionate in his prayer for help and support from the Lord, and says of his enemies:

¹⁷ May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Finally, our one verse from the book of Proverbs for today is one that is worthy of reflection:

⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
   but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

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

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JOSHUA 7:16-9:2 | LUKE 16:1-18 | PSALM 82:1-8 | PROVERBS 13:2-3

Achan’s sin is found out, and he pays for it with his life.  The “devoted things” turned out to be clothing and shekels of gold and silver:  plunder that was to be collected and set aside for the Lord’s service, but Achan thought he could stow away a little bit of it for himself.  The wealth was his idol, and he placed more trust in it than in the living God of his fathers.  And when his sin is found out, he and his entire family are rooted out completely and permanently.  Death by stoning was the mode of execution and we see it here again being carried out very effectively.

If the story of Achan’s sin and consequence is unsettling, well then, perhaps that is how it is supposed to make you feel, and the lesson is one that is learned quickly and not forgotten easily.  The sin of disobedience bears a heavy price, especially when it is intentional.  And in this case, for a people who were on the verge of establishing themselves in a new land as a new nation, perhaps it was imperative that certain basic ground rules be established at the outset; rules for a people to live by and to die by.  There was no in-between place. 

However, several thousand years later, there will come a man, nay, God incarnate, who will turn many of these precepts of the Law upside down.  The woman being stoned will be let go; the prodigal son will be embraced.  Strange things will soon come our way…

But returning to our story in Joshua, we see that Israel advances upon yet another city by the name of Ai, and by stealth, captures it.  This time they follow all instructions to the last detail in disposing of the people and the loot in the proper manner.  After what had happened to Achan, they weren’t taking any chances. 

And to further reiterate their commitment to stay on the straight and narrow, the children of Israel led by Joshua renew their covenant with their God.  On Mount Ebal, an altar is built and Moses’ law is written on the stones of the altar and fellowship offerings.  Let it not be said that Joshua didn’t remind them of the covenant of old.

Turning next to our study of the book of Luke, we encounter an interesting parable that Jesus offers to his audience.  Some context is needed in order to understand the moral of this parable although Jesus does go on to offer it himself when he says:  ¹³ “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” 

But in light of putting even more context around this:  the Mosaic Law forbade charging interest on a loan, and over time, the way around this was to overcharge or inflate the price of the item.  In this story, the shrewd manager who reduces the price is actually removing the overcharge that he must have initially marked up to each of the debtors.  So, he is essentially coming clean and showing some honesty although his ulterior motive is to gain favor with these debtors if he is fired by his own master. 

A little convoluted it might be, but it serves to make the point that this manager is shrewd to understand that it is ultimately better for himself when he forgoes his kickbacks.  So, if someone as dishonest as this manager can make wise decisions with money, how much more ought Christ-followers to be able to put their money to good use.

The wealthy Pharisees of the day must not have liked very much these views on money and its recommended use, especially when Jesus goes on to say: You cannot serve both God and Money.  Which is to say that the way to use money properly is to use it in God’s service, i.e., to do the things that David the Psalmist is actually pleading of God to do for his people, things such as defending the cause of the weak and the orphans, maintaining the rights of the poor and the oppressed, and rescuing the weak and the needy. 

Would that the Pharisees have put their money to such good use!  Would that we put our money to such good use!  That would be a most desirable way to serve God, indeed.

Jesus’ views on divorce in this passage are also to be put into the proper context of how the Mosaic Law had been practiced in the day where a ‘Bill of Divorcement’ was issued by the man on any pretext whatsoever.  Jesus is therefore making the point that the only acceptable reason for divorce is to be adultery, not a whimsical fancy to put away one’s wife and take up another.

The Psalm for the day is one that David must have written at a difficult time in the life of his people.  He calls out to God for help by saying this:

³ Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
⁴ Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Finally, from the book of Proverbs, here’s a verse to keep in mind:

³ He who guards his lips guards his life,
but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

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