Believe it or not, this is our last full day in Deuteronomy. If you open your Bible and hold Genesis to Deuteronomy together, that is a hunk of Bible. The same goes for what you've read in the Psalms and the Gospels. Tomorrow we meet Rahab, a woman of incredible faith.
Deuteronomy 33
This is sort of like Jacob's blessing of his sons at the end of Genesis. What things stand out to you? I only have a few of my own observations.
V. 3 God loved His people.
V. 6 Reuben is mentioned first as Jacob's firstborn, but interestingly, Moses says his men should be few. The penalty for his incest was still there and must have had some influence in the tribe.
V. 7 Judah is mentioned here because his is the son/tribe who really received the birthright. As it will say today in Psalm 78, the firstborn blessing went to Judah. Can you remember why?
Vs. 8-11 Notice the space given to the Levites.
V. 8 Notice what God gave them. I still don't understand why the nation didn't avail itself of this blessing.
V. 10 Notice what the Levites were supposed to do.
Vs. 13-17 This is a lot of text for Joseph. Israel was to remember that God used Joseph to save them.
V. 27 This sounds like Psalm 90. If you really want to get the rest of Moses' last words, you should read Psalm 90, which he must have written around this time. As Laura observed, the Song of Moses in the previous chapter should really be called the Song of God. Psalm 90 is the Song of Moses.
V. 29 could be applied to the church too, "….who is like you, a people saved by the Lord…" Now we need to get the word out in the harvest.
Luke 13:1-21
Luke 13:1-5
There are always people who want to point to a disaster and make a one-to-one connection to that and sin. What's interesting is that Jesus doesn't deny the connection, but points the situation to the people who were talking. It is almost to say, "Don't worry about that, worry about yourselves."
The reality is that sometimes there is a correlation between events and God's hand of judgment. In all things, God is free to allow something to happen in order to make others wake up. Ultimately, all souls appear before the throne of God. That's where we'll all wind up. The question is, are we ready, and if we are ready, in light of this coming event, we need to be moved with compassion, not judgment, and help others find Christ.
Luke 13:6-9
Jesus uses the question of God's judgment in situations to point to God's mercy. Every person on this planet is in trouble. God's patience is incredible. Instead of judging, God shows mercy. This is His daily posture as He works that none should perish. Many will perish, but it won't be because He didn't provide opportunities to hear the truth and respond.
Luke 13:10-17
So here is a case in point. This woman has been bound by Satan 18 years. It doesn't say it was because of sin. The implication, like the man born blind in the Gospel of John, is that God allowed this for His glory. God works as He chooses so that we have opportunities to believe, follow Him and tell others.
Luke 13:18-21
Jesus has used the parable of the mustard seed before. This is almost verbatim with Matthew and Mark, but here, it is used in a different context. Jesus is teaching against the Pharisees. Whereas in Matthew and Mark, the emphasis was the small seed and great growth, with a tiny negative sense regarding the birds, here it appears that the emphasis is on the birds. The birds being foreign to the plant and foreign to the kingdom.
Here, also, the context seems to suggest a negative vibe. The yeast here could well be the wrong teaching of Pharisees which would (and did in Acts) cause trouble in the growth of the kingdom.
Psalm 78:65-72
So, after all of the disaster in the history of Israel, God rises confidently without inhibition and brings victory, order and peace through David. This I think is the main point of the psalm. Instead of rebelling as Israel has in the past, they are to submit to the order God has made, submitting to the rule of David. After Joshua, the reign of David would be the next time the nation was secure.
Proverbs 12:25
Encouragement is an incredible need. Yet, the Lord lets us walk without it at times to see where our real treasure is and where it is that we find our ultimate security. But I still pray for encouragement every day.
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.
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