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We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.
Forgive us for our trespasses we pray and speak mightily as we study your word together. Accept our humble offering we pray.
Response to Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19
A House of Prayer Deuteronomy 23:1-9
Not knowing Hebrew or Aramaic, I cannot interpret "assembly of the Lord" as it is found in Deuteronomy 23:1-9. One may question whether this just refers to the Priests and Levites entering the tabernacle and eventually the Temple - or whether it refers to the people of Israel as a whole. Leviticus 19:33-34 states "'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." (see also Exodus 12:48-49, Exodus 22:21, Exodus 23:12, Numbers 9:14, Numbers 15:15-16 and 29, Deuteronomy 1:17, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Deuteronomy 24:17). Based on the abundance of scripture regarding equitable treatment of the alien within their midst, it would stand to reason "assembly of the Lord" would mean entering the house of God.
And yet, check the response from the children of God when they dusted off the book of the law in Nehemiah 13:1-3! "On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent."
Such is the danger of piece meal scripture. If it doesn't fit through the filter of "Love God + Love Man," we'd better look again!
Paul addressed this concern as the free gift of salvation was granted to all men - crushed, bastard, or blemished or confused - in Romans 3:21-31; "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
The Lord spoke through Isaiah the prophet to His annointed servant in Isaiah 49:5-6; "And now the Lord says - he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength - he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (see also Isaiah 42:6)
Romans 10:12-15 "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'(Joel 2:32)
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"(see also Isaiah 52:7)
Deuteronomy 23:1-9 deals with ancient curses and understandings regarding the wrath of God. Few understood or comprehended the Love of God within brutal barbarian cultures and the seeming brutality of nature. As we have discussed, through Israel, God intended to remind the world of His Holiness - yet even outside the temple grounds, such cleanliness has been treated without such issue and the people were regularly prodded to associate through equality with one another. Although the pride and arrogance of Moab led to severe judgment as recorded in Jeremiah 48, the final verses of judgment on Moab and Ammon, sons of Abraham's cousin Lot, reads much like Ezekiel 16:53-63.
Jeremiah 48:47 "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab.
Jeremiah 49:6 "'Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,' declares the Lord."
Judgment and salvation are prophesied through Edom in Isaiah 63:1 "Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." (see Isaiah 63:1-6)
Isaiah 56:3-5 "Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.' And let not any eunuch complain, 'I am only a dry tree.' For this is what the Lord says: 'To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant - to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
By excluding the foreigner in Nehemiah 13:1-2, the Israelites did well to keep purity in faith until the time of Jesus Christ! Yet they missed the point we must glean from scripture as Christ fulfilled the understanding of the law given in Deuteronomy 23:1-9 and the prophecy of Isaiah 56:3-5 in His cleansing of the temple Luke Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46, and John 2:13-16.
That It Might Go Well With You Deuteronomy 23:10-25
(23:10-14) As often mentioned, It was God's purpose to establish His reputation of Holiness through the people of Israel. No one could argue that covering excrement or staying within the camp following nightly emissions would constitute loss of salvation! Such is the case with the Deuteronomical law. Only one law seems to take presidence over the others - that being "Love God!" As these laws focus the believer on that goal, well and good! Let's remember Leviticus 11:44! "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Although these verses may not seem very important, they reflect the importance of personal hygiene for the child of God as even your reputation of cleanliness is a witness to your fellowman. Many a Muslim or Jew in the world has no interest in Jesus Christ as they feel He is somehow responsible for the moral decay and carelessness of the West.
(23:15-16) All men are created equal. I have spoken that there is no law against slavery in the Bible, except honor between owner and slave. If for some reason the slave must escape the master, something has gone wrong in that honor relationship, and ownership shall not be held against the slave against his/her will. Again the church now acts in much the same way as the cities of refuge of early Israel. The letter of Philemon in the New Testament deals with a case in point as Philemon's slave Onesimus had run and was now with Paul. Paul was sending him back and asking for mercy and grace on the part of Philemon, a devout religious man.
(23:17-18) No prostitutes - male or female. As the description of prostitute donotes words of: (devote, corrupt, debase, offer indiscriminately), perhaps this may be our first clue this is a form of idolotry! Whether or not God approves of illicit sex, such behavior is bound to mess up relationships and health for all individuals involved. Certainly such behavior should never be a righteous religious practice.
(23:19-20) The Jews have done quite well financially as they look out for one another! Perhaps we would all do well to follow suit!
(23:21-23) Although vows are not required of the children of God, even taking on the name of God as a Child of God is a vow and must be honored.
(23:24-25) Snacking in a neighbors vineyard may be akin to enjoying a sample at the grocery store. But taking advantage of generosity quickly becomes theft.
(24:1-4) How much more can be said about divorce? The specifics of the law are a bit different here, but the main ingredient is still the same - weakness. Sexual relationships, much less Marriage, should not be taken lightly. Consenting adults should be mature enough to know of the responsibilities involved and the pain that breaking such a vow or commitment can cause to everyone involved beyond the couple in question. I am quite certain that remarrying a woman after you have divorced her is not going to increase your chances of spending eternity in Hell any more than the original divorce did. The "hell" of the situation is the pain you are all experiencing on earth. Make good decisions and find peace on earth with those you love. Learn to love and forgive and serve.
(24:5) A year long honeymoon sounds pretty good. If you can afford to do so, it might just be a great way to start a great commitment. Nothing bad to say about investing in love. Let that love last a lifetime.
(24:6) The mill and the upper millstone were used for processing food. Use common sense before you take away somone's ability to survive.
(24:7) Kidnapping is just wrong. I can talk of love all day long - but when someone becomes such a terror to humanity, they do well to prove me wrong. They don't deserve to die, they're dead already. If you are troubled enough that you would commit rape, murder, or kidnapping, get help! You're possessed. Then again, many nations in the world are paying their young men to commit greater attrocities than these and those young men and women are going to need counseling also.
(24:8-9) We can all be thankful that Moses did not repeat all those laws on leprosy. If you want to know more, reread Leviticus 13-14 or Numbers 12 with my notes. That's exactly what Moses was asking the Israelites to do.
(24:10-13) I am guessing there was a specific case that Moses dealt with regarding surety for a loan that represented warmth and sustenance for the one giving the surety. Obviously there was a rather nasty dispute involved. The moral of the story is that we must show respect for persons and property. Be considerate and get along with your neighbor. Jesus put this quite simply, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31
(24:14-15) Be fair to your employees. Pay a fair wage and pay them when they are expecting it as that evenings food for the family may be dependant upon you. Fair and timely payment has a cascading affect throughout the community especially in a stressed economy. People are dependant upon your ability to pay.
(24:16) I think that's the gospel in a nutshell: "each is to die for his own sin." But that's all changed according to Romans 5:6-8; "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I John 4:10; "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[a] our sins."
(24:17-18) Perhaps instead of a picture of Jesus on our wall, we should have a picture of a widow, an orphan, and an alien. These three individuals are commonly seen in the Bible as representation of the poor and needy. (Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 27:19, Psalm 68:5-6, Psalm 146:9, Jeremiah 7:6, Jeremiah 22:3, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5, James 1:27, )
(24:19-22) This is a continuation of the picture of the poor and the needy - the widow, the orphan, and the alien. Gleaning of the crops was a large part of the story of Ruth, Moabite Grandmother of King David. Taking care of the poor and needy is the litmus test for any society! How is your's doing?
(25:1-3) Herein lies the law for flogging by the Jews: The maximum was to be forty as if that would not degrade a brother. Similar to 40 years in the wilderness, 40 days for Jesus. Paul states in II Corinthians 11:24 "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one." You may be wondering how many lashes Jesus received! We do not have the answer in the Bible. We do know Jesus' flogging came by the hand of the Romans, not according to Jewish law. Flogging by Romans was generally more cruel and there was no legal limit to the number of blows - except to leave the criminal alive for public crucifiction.
(25:4) The mind can go far regarding muzzling the ox treading the grain. Could this be humane treatment of the working animal? Is there a return to a reflection on the worker? Is there a Messianic message as the flogging has just been mentioned and now the sacrificial animal is separating the grain from the chaff? The Son of Man shall refine the Levites through His strong words throughout His ministry( Ref. Malachi 3:3)? We could have fun with this one or move on to the next.
Paul applies this to support of missionaries serving the church in I Corinthians 9:10-12 "Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? He mentions this again in I Timothy 5:17-18 and equates it with Deuteronomy 24:15; "Pay him (the worker) his wages each day. Jesus also used this regarding commissioning the 72 apostles in Luke 10:7.
(25:5-10) This section of scripture has roots in Genesis 38:1-11 with the sons of Judah and was also pertinent in the story of David's Grandmother, Ruth (see Ruth 4:1-12). The law is was also brought up by the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-28. In essence, Jesus said that in Heaven, we won't worry about rules like this one. Yet that does not change the intent to honor our brother on earth that our days may be long - and our memories - and our heritage. (Honor your Fathers...)
(25:11-12) Women must show honor to men, just as men must show honor to God. Amazing some of the circumstances Moses had to deal with as the Supreme court! For all of us, men and women alike, it is advisable today to keep our hands to ourselves. If we touch the private parts of the opposite sex in an inappropriate fashion, there are generally dire consequences. Especially for the man in America, and for women in Arabia.
(25:13-16) Proverbs 11:1 and 3 "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him...The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Honesty and Integrity are righteous virtues. Do not show partiality or favoritism.
(25:17-19) This passage reflects the circumstances and curse on Amelek of Exodus 17:8-16 and forcasts I Samuel 15 where Saul's failure to destroy the good of Amelek becomes his own downfall and curse. Serve the Lord with gladness - and dedicate yourself to following the will of God. Love God + Love Man.
Response to Luke 10:13-37
Thankful To God For His Gifts to Me Luke 10:13-16
John the Baptist and Jesus both taught repentance and forgiveness of sins. We finished our passage on Luke yesterday with a quote from Ezekiel 16:53-62. A common theme of mine in consideration of my own salvation story is the great heritage I have received from God fearing parents who have been married over 50 years and have always been leaders in the church. Yet, as I have ventured out into the world and met believers and unbelievers, I have cherished that blessing more and more. It was not that I chose God but that He chose me and gave me the experiences in my life that have made me the man I am today. I owe Him everything - and I feel obligated to share His Love with my fellowman.
The same is true of these cities on the northern shores of the Galilean Sea. What an awesome opportunity those people had to witness the life and miracles of Jesus Christ! 5000 fed at Bethsaida with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Wouldn't you have liked to have been one of those people at the live event?
As with many cities of this period of history, Tyre and Sidon had undergone successive conquests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidon "Sidon had many conquerors: Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and finally Romans" Thus, judgment was a consistent theme in Israeli literature. It provided a good backdrop for Jesus message in todays reading. The message is not all that different from "Judge not that ye be not judged." I believe we must understand the history and culture behind a belief system - as well as our own - before we ever consider wearing the clothes of God and standing in judgment on our fellowman. Better yet, we better not be wearing that garb, should we!
If the world is hearing us, it better be hearing Christ! If we give a message of wrath and judgment the world takes offense at, it takes offense at Christ and if at Christ, then at God. Therein lies our judgment as the teacher who would lead his children astray.
The Debriefing Luke 10:17-23
With little training, the 70 (72) had gone out on a short term mission and had even cast out demons. I am quite sure his response of "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" and "authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions" were both symbolic of His joy over the good news they had just shared. These two comments also played well with their theology. In the commentary yesterday on Psalm 74, Leviathan was mentioned, that 7 headed dragon from ancient mythology who reared his ugly head from time to time even in Israeli literature. The devil or satan was also a common reference as he still is today. Genesis 3 speaks of the promised seed crushing the serpant's head. Jesus words were encouraging and He had no intention of correcting any theology or history, just to commend the crew on a job well done! This verbage justifies some of the add-on at the end of the gospel of Mark:9-20.
Perhaps in verse 21 he even mentioned the relative shallow understanding these missionaries had regarding the Kingdom of Heaven in spite of the great power they had received from on High. "full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." (vs. 21). Surely, regardless of how much we spend on education or comprehend the scriptures, no one yet today knows the Father or the Son. These remain a mystery that we are all finding out.
I Corinthians 13:11-13 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
But, can you imagine being those disciples, and looking into that face and hearing that voice that day?
Who Will Be a Good Neighbor? Luke 10:25-37
Perhaps one of the most well known stories of the New Testament! And yet, the answer to the question at the end has always puzzled me. The phrasing of the question certainly is important as some translations ask "who was a neighbor?; - and others "who proved to be a neighbor."
It seems to me that the injured man was neighbor to all. The good Samaritan proved to be a good neighbor! The religious men proved to be poor neighbors. In a shrinking world where I can be in any new place within a day if I carry enough $$, I believe each of us have now become neighbor to the rest of humanity. I think this has always been the object lesson.
The fact is there are a lot of physically and emotionally and spiritually wounded individuals throughout the world - perhaps 100%. The question remains, "Who will be the good neighbor?"
Response to Psalm 75:1-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RBkOxMaZFw We shall Behold Him - With Fear and Reverence
Here is a Psalm which certainly speaks of the end of days. As with so many Psalms, I thrill with the poetry througout until the close. Somehow, the Psalmist's humanity always seems to show up. And yet, I am expecting humanity will show up on that final day. That's what judgment is all about.
May we all join together in giving thanks, and together praise the God of Adam for all His gifts to us.
For God alone shall judge with equity while the minds of men shake and rattle and roll - and all the proud shall be humbled as to the knee we bow.
Our censers (Leviticus 10:1) we dare not raise on that day, nor speak a word of our righteousness. Neither East nor West shall speak with evil intent putting one down or lifting oneself up - for judgment belongs to our Lord and we shall all be sheep lined up for slaughter.
Yet, can it be that He shall offer us a cup and allow us all to drink to His good pleasure? Shaken as we are in dreadful fear, shall we partake of the bread together?
Surely only the righteous shall be called to rise up on that day as the master calls them home, entering with praise and thanksgiving and never looking back.
Response to Proverbs 12:12-14
Who is the root of the righteous but God Himself? We dare not ask for the despair of men.
If we would but open our mouth against our brother we may slip into judgment
Allow sweetness to carress our lips, for great shall be the reward.
Until Tomorrow
Rick
Saturday, April 3, 2010
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