April 3, Reading Notes

Before we begin today, I have to correct a couple of things.

On April 1st, in Deut. 20:10-18, I missed the provision that in the cities that surrendered, all the people (including the guys) were spared and the people became labor in Israel. The Israelites had to offer terms of peace first. If the city fought, the guys died. I missed that.

Yesterday, after I published the post, it occurred to me that in Deut. 21:10-14 (the woman taken captive in war and married to an Israeli soldier), that there was a sense in which there is mercy in this custom. Worse things could have happen to a person, and actually, this could have been a very good thing. Becoming a part of Israel worked out pretty good for Ruth. But Ruth wasn't taken in war. She came with Naomi. Then it hit me; there is another example of a foreign woman who was taken in war and married one of the soldiers, Rahab, from Jericho. It turned out really good for Rahab. Her husband, Salmon, was from a leading family of Judah and some think Salmon might have been one of the spies who went into Jericho. Rahab becomes a model of faith in God and gets some good press in Hebrews and in James, but her biggest claim to fame, along with Ruth, is in Matthew 1:5. Rahab shouldn't have been spared because she was a Canaanite, but in God's mercy she was not only saved, and she not only married a cool dude, but she became the great⁽²⁹⁾ grandmother of Jesus.

Deuteronomy 23-25

Deut. 23:1-8

V. 1 Just to put this into perspective, it very well could have been that both Daniel and Nehemiah were eunuchs. I know, I hate that thought too. These were two men who are heroes in God's eyes, and Daniel, if you look at what God says about Him, is in God's top men of all time.

V. 2 is a hard one to understand but linked to verse 3 it makes sense. "A forbidden union" was something abhorrent, like incest. These people could live in Israel, but were not welcome in the courts of the Tabernacle or Temple until the 10th generation of living in Israel, following Yahweh. In verse 3 you have two children and peoples conceived out of incest, Ammon and Moab, the sons of Lot and his daughters. For these two people, notice, even after the 10th generation they can't enter the assembly of the Lord.

Notice the bad press that Balaam gets.

The Edomites are from Esau, the brother of Jacob, son of Isaac and the grandson of Abe. The Edomites eventually became absorbed into Israel. The Egyptians have a special place and it is foretold that someday, they will serve and worship Jesus. In Isaiah 19:19-25, it says, "the Lord," but we know that everything from now until the end of the Millennium, is about Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Deut. 23:9-16

The camp was to remain couth because God was among them.

Vs. 15-16 I take this to mean a slave escaped in war. This happened to David in 1 Sam. 30:15 with an Egyptian slave they found.

Deut. 23:17-25

There is a common element in these that has something to do with poorness and compassion and payments.

Notice that verse 21 is used by Jesus in the Beatitudes in Matt. 5:33.

Vs. 24-25 was a provision of mercy for the needy. I'm sure if you had a daily ritual of going into your neighbor's yard, helping yourself to a handful of his raspberries, the city fathers would have had words with you. Just think, this is how the entire nation would have been during the sabbatical year, that is, every seventh year.

Deut. 24:1-22

Vs. 1-4 This is also mentioned in the Beatitudes.

Although this is where we get some teaching on divorce and remarriage in the Scriptures, the force of this is directed to prohibit a man from remarrying a wife due to sexual defilement. This is a law of propriety, order, for the people of Israel. Today, it would be looked on as a good thing if a divorced couple, even after years and marriages between, came to Christ and were able to renew their vows in marriage.

V. 5 Is a great thing. The Lord gave Laura and me two of these.

From verse 6 to the end of this chapter, everything seems to fit together in terms of poorness and payments and pledges made for loans.

Vs. 6-7 You couldn't take a person's means of survival or sell him to get what you wanted from him.

Vs. 8-9 It could have been that people thought of using leprous people to work or requiring some labor from them for mercy shown to them in providing food.

Vs.10-13 You couldn't take a poor man's cloak to make sure he paid you back. The poor only had the clothes on their backs. By the way, this helps define a poor person in the OT. You are not poor if you have more than one change of clothes.

Vs.14-15 Another defining feature of the poor was that they had no money and no food, but for that day.

V.16 in this context could have something to do with debt or stealing.

Vs. 17-18 These verses restate what has been said in the context of poorness; and they state the underlying heart of mercy, remembering that they were slaves and were redeemed by the mercy of God.

Vs. 19-22 I wonder how often people in Israel actually did this. Verse 22 is the key to them having a heart of mercy. If you think about it, this is also the reason we are to have a heart of mercy to reach out to the lost. We too were lost and without hope. By God's mercy we have received grace and forgiveness and life. Now, it is simply right that we share this with others who are lost.

Deut. 25:1-19

I think this entire chapter is held together by the same thoughts of mercy and justice and compassion.

Vs. 1-3 Maybe the dispute had something to do with an issue of cheating a widow or the poor. The guilty person was to be punished, but with mercy so as not to be degraded.

V. 4 Even a beast of burden was to be honored as it served. How much more a man. This verse is applied to people in full time ministry in the NT by Paul in 1Cor 10 and 1Tim. 5. Paul says that the application was always for how one treated their servants.

Vs. 5-10 This too was an act of mercy. This figures into the story of Boaz and Ruth.

Vs. 11-12 What I get from this is the same in verses 1-3, even in defeating a person in a fight, you were to do it respectfully.

Vs. 13-16 Notice how this is linked to them staying in the land they were about to enter. God hates dishonesty, and dishonesty damages us and brings God's justice.

Vs. 17-19 I think the point here was that in this fight, Amalek played dirty by attacking the weak and defenseless. God isn't into terrorism. Attacking the defenseless shows a lack of fear of God.

Luke 10:13-37

It seems like a good place to mention that some of what Jesus said, He said on more than one occasion. Like any good traveling preacher, He used the same messages and illustrations and used them in different situations giving the message or application a slightly different twist from the last time He used it.

Vs. 13-16 These verses continue the "shaking the dust" discourse from yesterday. Jesus denounced these cities on a couple different occasions. Notice the warning and the truth of verse 16. That gives some perspective to our work in the harvest. Ultimately it is not our message or delivery that gets rejected. He speaks through us.

Vs. 17-24

V. 18 Satan hasn't gotten tossed out of heaven yet. That will come during the Tribulation. Satan's power was challenged and broken. It got worse after the resurrection and coming of the Spirit to birth the church.

The authority Jesus gave them was very verbal and literal. If you don't hear Him telling you that you have this power, don't test God by thinking you have it.

Vs. 21-22 This also is an assurance we have working in the harvest. Those who are open, hear. The Son reveals the Father, not us.

Vs. 25-37 I don't have any great observations other than to say that a major way we can witness to people is by helping them and being aware of needs. Many people know what is happening in the 3rd world, but have no clue what is happening in the lives of the families they can see from their front porch. God made us to do good for our neighbor, sharing the love and message of Christ. Eph. 2:10

Psalm 75

Amen!

Proverbs 12:12-14

And Amen!

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.