Category: More Than Bread

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DEUTERONOMY 26:1-27:26 | LUKE 10:38-11:13 | PSALM 76:1-12 | PROVERBS 12:15-17

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“My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. ⁶ But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. ⁷ Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. ⁸ So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. ⁹ He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; ¹⁰ and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.”

This is the summary of the history of the children of Israel, and Moses tells this to the people by way of instructing them to take the first-fruits of their labors in the new land they are about to enter. 

The priest who accepts your first-fruit offerings will invoke these very words so as to serve as a reminder of how you even came into this good fortune, says Moses.

The rest of the chapter records the rest of Moses’ instructions to the twelve tribes.  Yet another important deed that is to be done in the new land, Moses says, is to build an altar of field stones, on each of which the law is to be written.  These might have been just the Ten Commandments, or it might have included all the many details, we do not know, but regardless, the power of the written word is established here. 

And just as important, the power of the spoken word is also established here, because it is at this place of the altar, Mount Ebal, that the people of Israel are instructed to speak out curses on all the things that the Lord abhors.  Let it be written, and let it be heard that which is good and that which is not.

Turning next to Luke, we see Jesus continuing to minister to the people, and yet, there are instances every so often when we see someone else ministering to him.  Martha was one such woman.  Along with her sister Mary, Martha was earnest in her efforts to perhaps prepare a meal for the Lord, but she is so caught up in these practical matters that she forgets the importance of the event itself:  Jesus has come to their house to spend time with them! 

And therefore, Mary, her sister is perhaps the wiser one in sitting down to engage in conversation with Jesus.  As important it is to spring into action to serve the Lord, it is just as important or perhaps even more important to first spend time with him.  Would that we might understand this little truth and practice it well!

It is also in this passage that we find Jesus giving us a template on prayer.  What is prayer, you ask?  How must one pray?  Well, Jesus gives us this excellent template:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

 ³Give us day by day our daily bread.

 ⁴And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Jesus goes on to speak to the importance of prayer and encourages this of his listeners:  ⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

David’s Psalm of the day conjures up images of a God mighty and powerful over the rulers of the earth, nay, over everything under the sun.

And finally, the verses from the book of Proverbs for today are all worthy of being reproduced here for the nuggets of wisdom embedded within them:

¹⁵ The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.

¹⁶ A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

¹⁷ A truthful witness gives honest testimony,
   but a false witness tells lies.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 23:1-25:19 | LUKE 10:13-37 | PSALM 75:1-10 | PROVERBS 12:12-14

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Moses continues with his list of exhortations and examples of dos-and-don’ts to the children of Israel as they await the time of their entrance into the “promised land”.   The instructions range from broad ones such as not bearing enmity to the Edomites and the Egyptians, to very specific and detailed ones on personal hygiene and marital relations. 

While many of these laws are archaic and no longer practiced even by the most orthodox of Jewish people, it is still quite fascinating an account of the degree of detail that the Law embodied.

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.”  These are Jesus’ words to the towns and cities that willfully choose to reject his preachings. 

It is indeed a sad day when a curse such as that is levied upon any people.  And there is no mincing of words here.  It is clear and it is direct.

The messenger was the message himself, and he preached and performed inconceivable miracles to the people, but alas, the people did not care to listen.  Jesus tells his disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

We also encounter in this passage the famous parable of the Good Samaritan.  The man who comes to ask Jesus the question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” knows the answers well, and it is to his credit that he not only asks the right and relevant questions, but also offers the right and relevant answers when Jesus replies by counter-questioning him. 

Most of the teachers of the law that we have encountered in the gospels were unlike this man—the Pharisees and the Saducees that we know of were the kind who might have answered those questions differently.  It is likely that they might have got caught up in all the various minutiae of the law—the kind that we read about in the passage in the book of Deuteronomy today.  But this teacher of the law answers clearly when asked about his interpretation of the Law. 

He says in response to his own initial question of how he might inherit eternal life:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Furthermore, he goes on to correctly identify the identity of the “neighbor” in the story of the Good Samaritan that Jesus poses to him.

Turning next to the Psalms, we find David’s psalm for the day is an interesting one that is an affirmation of God’s ultimate powers over the universe.  To preserve and to destroy is the prerogative of the Almighty, and yet there is an understanding of a correlation of just rewards to the righteous and the wicked.  May it be that we are also aware of which camp we fall under.  

Finally, a verse from the Book of Proverbs which offers food for thought.  Solomon, wise king of Israel says:

¹⁴ From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 21:1-22:30 | LUKE 9:51-10:12 | PSALM 74:1-23 | PROVERBS 12:11

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These two chapters in the book of Deuteronomy make as much sense to me as a string of pearls to a pig.  I see no value in them, and may as well look at them, poke them around, and toss them out.  So far removed is it from every fiber of my socio-cultural-moral schema, that I too, can do no better than the pig. 

But it is what it is, and the children of Israel observed these laws to the best of their ability.  It doesn’t take too long to see that this was a male-dominated, nay, a male-chauvinistic society that viewed women as chattel.  And stoning by death was the ultimate punishment established to serve as a deterrent, but whether it did as much or not, is anybody’s guess.

Turning next to our reading in Luke, we see both the human and the divine in the personality of Jesus who is continuing in his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing the people in the regions.  So intriguing is this godman who speaks these strange things and performs these inconceivable miracles that there are times when the people are terrified and would much rather he go away! 

Which is what happens in the town of Samaria which Jesus departs when he sees that he is not wanted there.  And Jesus goes away willingly, and even tells those who might wish to follow him that this is no ordinary calling.  If you wish to be in the service of the kingdom of God, he says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Got that?  Good.  And then, if you thought those were stern words, Jesus goes on to speak even more stern words when he says that when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” 

Mark these words, my friend, Jesus is no push-over!

Next, we turn to the Psalms, and David’s psalm for the day is one of meditation on God’s greatness as seen in the marvels of nature.  He says:

¹² But you, O God, are my king from of old;
   you bring salvation upon the earth.
¹³ It was you who split open the sea by your power;
   you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
¹⁴ It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
   and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.
¹⁵ It was you who opened up springs and streams;
   you dried up the ever flowing rivers.
¹⁶ The day is yours, and yours also the night;
   you established the sun and moon.
¹⁷ It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
   you made both summer and winter.

Finally, the proverb for the day is one that is an exhortation on the importance of working for one’s living.  Daydreaming will not put food on the table, mind you, it is your work and effort that will.  Solomon, wise king of Israel, and writer of the Book of Proverbs says this:

¹¹ He who works his land will have abundant food,
   but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 18:1-20:20 | LUKE 9:28-50 | PSALM 73:1-28 | PROVERBS 12:10

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²¹ Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.  This was the decree as per the old covenant that had been established between God and the people of Israel, and Moses is now reminding the people of proper conduct in the new land they are about to possess. 

The people are aware of these laws; they have been practicing them for the better part of the last forty years, and Moses’ recap of these dos-and-don’ts serve as one final reminder before the great crossing over into Canaan.

And then, of course, several thousand years later, there comes another man, a man greater than Moses, nay, God incarnate himself, by the name of Jesus who comes to dismantle all the decrees of the old covenant, chief among them being the decree to show no pity.  Furthermore, he seems to turn upside down so many other beliefs—beliefs such as who might be first and last.  When asked who among them is the greatest, Jesus says, “For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.” 

How can that be?  What does he mean?  Could it be true?

Our passage in Luke today continues with an account of Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing.  There is the amazing story of the man who beseeches Jesus to cure his young son from seizures, and Jesus obliges.  Despite this and many other such miracles, however, the important people of the day do not recognize this man to be the long-awaited Messiah.

The Psalm for the day is one in which David is admitting his great weakness of spirit and flesh, and yet he is wise enough to know of God’s steadfast provision for him.  Despite his despair, he does have one thing right, though:  his own love for God.  He says:

²¹ When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
   I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.

Finally, a verse from the Book of Proverbs that speaks to the importance of tending to domesticated animals with care:

¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
   but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. 

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

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DEUTERONOMY 16:1-17:20 | LUKE 9:7-27 | PSALM 72:1-20 | PROVERBS 12:8-9

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Moses isn’t finished just yet with the recap of the instructions to the children of Israel even as they prepare to enter the “promised land”.  Today, he reminds them of the importance of celebrating the Passover, as well as several other feasts during the course of the year. 

Follow all these rules, he tells them, and you will live long and will prosper. 

Finally, he gives also instructions for the king that they might appoint for themselves in the new land.  It is noteworthy that the primary instruction for the king is not about military prowess or public administration but about holding dear to these laws by reading it “all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God…” 

Moses says: ¹⁸When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees ²⁰ and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Turning to our reading in the gospel according to Luke, we encounter the amazing story of Jesus feeding the five thousand with five fishes and two loaves of bread.  And if that wasn’t amazing enough, the record also states that there were twelve baskets of leftovers. 

Along with his twelve disciples, Jesus conducts his ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing to the people throughout the regions.  Given the nature of his miraculous works, there is talk about who he really is– could it be that he is the long-awaited Messiah? 

Even Herod, the Roman ruler wonders if this is John the Baptist that had been beheaded at his behest, or might this be Elijah, the prophet?  There is much speculation about the true identity of Jesus’ persona, and yet it is only Simon Peter  who definitively states that Jesus is the Christ, i.e., the Messiah.  

But Jesus forbids Peter from proclaiming this because this would clearly appear to be self-serving.  Peter was Jesus’ disciple, of course, and so why wouldn’t he say that Jesus was the Messiah?  If there was to be true recognition of Jesus’ identity, it ought to come directly from the people and the leaders of the Temple.  Jesus asks, ²⁰ “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” 

But we have seen already how the people have rejected Jesus time and again—despite every inconceivable miracle that was performed before their very eyes, they have not believed and not realized that they were already in the presence of their Messiah.  Woe is unto them all!

We turn next to the Psalm of the day, and find David’s prayer for the king of Israel.  David says:

¹⁷ May his name endure forever;
   may it continue as long as the sun.

All nations will be blessed through him,
   and they will call him blessed.
¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
   who alone does marvelous deeds.
¹⁹ Praise be to his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
            Amen and Amen.
²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Finally, our Proverb for the day is one to ponder upon:

⁸ A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped mind is despised.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 13:1-15:23 | LUKE 8:40-9:6 | PSALM 71:1-24 | PROVERBS 12:5-7

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If it wasn’t clear enough already, Moses makes a particular point of reiterating yet one more time the importance of not worshiping any other gods.  Idolatry is strictly forbidden, as is being led by anyone at all including your own family to any other person who might claim to be a prophet or have divine powers. 

God’s command was pretty straightforward:  do not worship any thing or any person. 

This was a special people that had a special God: one who talked with them and walked with them, and brought them out of the most impossible of circumstances, and had provided for them for the last forty years, and was now preparing to establish them in a new land as per the covenant that was made with their forefathers.

But there were some things that needed to be made clear, chief among them being this business of holding fast to their faith in the one and only God.  And then there are other things that bear repeating as well:  things such as dietary restrictions and concessions, the making of tithes, the canceling of debts every seven years, the freeing of slaves also every seven years, and finally, the offering of the firstborn and perfect animal sacrifice to God which was commemorated in the feast of the Passover.  All these things Moses tells the people yet again so as to remind them once more on how to conduct themselves in the land that they are about to enter.

Turning next to Luke, we find the familiar story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and is instantly healed—so great is her faith!  

Also great is the faith of the man named Jairus who comes to Jesus with the plea that Jesus heal his dying daughter.  Alas, his daughter is dead by the time Jesus gets there, and upon seeing the grief and wailing of the people, Jesus tells them to stop crying because the girl is only asleep.  At this, some people laugh at him (they presumably were not aware of Jesus’ reputation in the region), but Jesus simply says to the young twelve-year old girl, “My child, get up”, and the young girl is raised to life!

The Psalm for the day is one of great praise.  David is unabashed in the high praise that he has for God Almighty.  Nothing and no one can dissuade him from the great hope and trust that he has placed in the Lord.  David says:

¹⁴ But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
   though I know not its measure.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

And despite all the many trials and tribulations that he has seen in his lifetime, he is steadfast in his belief in God’s provision for him.  It is this kind of faith that must truly please God!  David says:

²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.

Finally, a few verses from the Book of Proverbs in which Solomon, wise king of Israel offers a contrast between the righteous and the wicked:

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
   but the house of the righteous stands firm.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 9:1-10:22 | LUKE 8:4-21 | PSALM 69:19-36 | PROVERBS 12:2-3

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⁶ Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. 

These are Moses’ words to the children of Israel as they prepare to enter the “promised land”. 

Moses is quick to make this point and to make it well.  Let it not be said that it was because of any righteousness of the people that they had earned such a great reward.  No, it was not.  On the contrary, they were receiving this despite their “stiff-neckedness!”

God’s plan and purpose isn’t always what one views it to be.  How self-absorbed are we to think that God’s every action is a direct result of this or that concerning us.  We might not even figure in the grand scheme of things, but may show up in some obscure detail because that is how the Almighty’s plans sometimes fall into place.  Let us therefore be cautious in attributing our circumstances to our own imaginings!

In the case of the children of Israel’s possession of these new lands, Moses tells the people that God is dispossessing the natives of the land because of their unrighteousness—which has worked out to the benefit of the children of Israel. 

So, take that and remember it lest you begin to think too much of your own goodness! 

Moses is indeed in a reflective mood, and begins to recount the many times over the last forty years that the people had turned away from God, and had rebelled in various ways.  Were it not for Moses’ intervention, he tells them, they would surely have been destroyed a long time ago.  And now that they have come so far and have all that history behind them, it is time indeed to reflect on the past, but it is time also to look forward to the future. 

And for this, Moses exhorts the people to love the Lord above all else.  On this note, he says this: ¹⁴ To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. ¹⁵ Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. ¹⁶ Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. ¹⁷ For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. ¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. ²⁰ Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. ²¹ He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. ²² Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we see Jesus speaking to the people in parables, i.e., in stories that have a deeper meaning.  There is one about a sower and his seeds.  If there is any ambiguity concerning what the seed might be or what the outcome of the planting is to mean, Jesus explains it in no uncertain terms.  

He says:  ¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴ The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

So great was Jesus’ desire for the Word of God to be planted well and to reap fruit, that when asked about who might be his true relatives, blood relatives, if you will, Jesus simply says: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

I don’t think it gets any clearer than that, do you?

Our Psalm for the day is a continuation of Psalm 69, one that David must have written during a difficult period of his life.  It is clear that David doesn’t pull his punches when in pain, perhaps both physical and emotional.  In his anguish and grief, he heaps curses upon his enemies and entreats God to fight his battles on his behalf. 

And yet, he is quick to acknowledge God’s mercies and is clear in his own understanding of what will truly please God.  It is not the sacrifices of oxen and bulls, he says; it is, rather, an offering of praise and thanksgiving that is life-giving.  In David’s words:

³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
³² The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!
³³ The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.

May it be that like David we might find perspective in our daily tribulations, and turn to the one who “hears the needy and does not despise his captive people”.

Finally, a verse from the Book of Proverbs, in which Solomon, wise king of Israel, offers this food for thought:

² Good people obtain favor from the LORD,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

 ³ No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

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

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DEUTERONOMY 7:1-8:20 | LUKE 7:36-8:3 | PSALM 69:1-18 | PROVERBS 12:1

² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. 

Moses is providing another recap of the last forty years, and is exhorting the people to gird themselves even as they are on the verge of entering the promised land.  The volt-faced line in the verse above is the capstone verse upon which I have established this devotional titled More Than Bread. 

It was Moses who had first uttered these words about how bread alone is not what we need to survive.  This earthly bread may be the sustenance of our earthly bodies, but it is of no use for our eternal bodies.  We need more than bread; we need the Word of God.  The Word that gives life, nay, life eternal. 

It is the Word that became flesh and came to dwell among us is how John, the apostle puts it.  And when Jesus himself is taunted by Satan on the mountain-top, to make the stones into bread, it is these very words that Jesus utters to rebuke Satan:  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Next, in our reading in the book of Luke, we find yet again the famous passage of the woman who comes to Jesus and sits by his feet to anoint them with her tears and an expensive perfume.  Simon, also known as Peter looks at this scene and wonders how it is that Jesus could allow himself to come into contact with a woman of such disrepute. 

But Jesus turns to Peter and by way of a parable-story explains how it doesn’t matter if she is a bad woman or a very bad woman.  It doesn’t matter—do you follow?  Sin is sin is sin.  We are ALL in need of forgiveness.  And so, turning to the woman, Jesus says to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Faith, and God’s grace:  the two and only ingredients needed to change a life!

Like this unnamed woman who was changed, Luke makes mention of a few other such women—women whose reputations were not the most sparkling.  Women who were looked down upon and shunned by the well-heeled individuals in society.  It was women like these that came to Jesus to find a new life, nay, life eternal.  Women once possessed by demons, women who were known prostitutes, and other such unsavory characters came to Jesus for forgiveness and to forever become changed!

Next, our Psalm for the day is one in which David is crying out to the Lord for help.  Even this great warrior-poet-king of Israel had his moments of weakness and despair, and in his dark hour, he cries out for the Lord’s promise in extending his hand of mercy and provision.  David says:

¹³ But I pray to you, O LORD,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up
   or the pit close its mouth over me.
¹⁶ Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;
   redeem me because of my foes.

And last but not least, the verse from Proverbs today is a straightforward one.  Solomon, the wise king of Israel, says this:

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
   but he who hates correction is stupid.

This verse may be seen as a reiteration and affirmation of what Moses has told the people right at the start of today’s reading:  Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

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