APRIL 11
Joshua
3-4
Joshua 3
Vs. 1-6 There is something in this I've never
seen before. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, Joshua moved
the entire nation seven miles and they camped out near the Jordan. They moved
those seven miles, with no clue as to how they were going to cross the Jordan.
It was March, just before the Passover, and apparently the snow from Mt. Hermon
in the north was melting and the river was overflowing its banks. This shows
how much the people had changed and what God had been doing in them for 40 years.
This generation of Israelites might have been the godliest generation that ever
represented the nation. They didn't complain and make problems when faced with
"impossible" circumstances. They simply followed and waited. Now they
waited three days, getting organized, but waiting for God's provision.
As disciples, following isn't easy, and
that's why many don't follow in the harvest. What if God doesn't do His part?
Why get so "uncomfortable" for nothing? God will love us anyway. But
it is only in sacrifice, following, depending and waiting in this harvest, that
we really get close to God. It is in the impossible that we see His power and
bear fruit for God. But it all comes down to faith and following, absolutely
convinced that even a "dead end" has meaning and will lead somewhere.
It didn't make sense that God led 2 million + people to the edge of a swollen
river. But He did. It doesn't make sense for us to follow from day to day
without security, for the sake of the Kingdom and for the harvest and the Lord.
But we do. And if we have a very big God, we don't have to complain.
Philippians
2:13-16 for it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling
or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without
blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of
Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
V. 4 Notice that the people had to keep a
distance from the ark. It symbolized the presence of God, and although all they
could see were the priests carrying something draped in ornate skins, they knew
to respect it.
Vs. 7-13 All of these people had only known Moses'
leadership and many had never seen what happened at the Red Sea. They would all
enter the land of promise with a unique sign that would show them the certainty
of God's presence and the authority of Joshua.
Vs. 14-17 There were a couple of miracles here.
Not only did the water gather far north, but the river bed dried up quickly. If
the Levites holding the ark were in the middle of the river, and the people had
to keep a distance of 3000 feet, it must have been a crossing that took place
for miles on each side of the ark. It might also have been a miracle for the
priests to have stood there with those poles digging into their shoulders,
waiting for 2 million people to go across the Jordan.
This was not only a big day for Joshua, but
also for the priests representing God and leading the people.
Joshua 4
There are a lot of things that can feed your
heart in this passage. How incredible that God fulfilled this incredible
promise. They were in the land.
Vs. 1-10 Notice the monuments for remembrance
that God had the people make. One was in the middle of the Jordan and the other
was where they camped on that first night in the land. I don't think God is
into "scrapbooking," but He does go for remembrance and education of
the next generation. What items of remembrance do you have at home, in your
family, in your office, that remind you of God's faithfulness? It is something
that disciple makers/ leaders do for a group as you work together in the
harvest making disciples, who make disciples. I have a couple of "stones
of remembrance" in my office right now that remind me of God doing great
things when it seemed like the doors were shut.
By the way, those stones that Israel moved
were big stones. Those guys must have been strong, or were made strong in a way
they didn't realize. I have carried natural stones for landscaping that were
about two ft long and one ft high and one ft thick and they were herniatingly heavy. A pile of 12 of
those wouldn't have made much of a monument. I think that God must have given
these guys superhuman strength. Also, If Joshua set up 12 stones that could be
seen when the river was still flooded, how big were those stones?
Vs. 11-14 The 2.5 tribes went first, fully
armed and looking ready for a rumble. If the Canaanites had planned a surprise
party, the river going dry and the appearance of these guys would have given
them second thoughts. By the way, you can bet there were people somewhere
watching this happen. This gave the new generation a sense of awe, both of God
and of Joshua.
Vs. 15-18 What an awesome moment. After all
those years since Jacob left Canaan for Egypt, Israel is finally, completely,
back in the land.
Vs. 19-24 are really great verses and 23-24
explain something important in our own lives. God leads us through tough times,
so that when He delivers us, He can use His work in our lives as an example to
others. He strengthens our faith in following and shows others that He is
mighty so that we might fear and love the Lord forever.
Luke
14:7-35
I don't think Jesus was picking a fight here.
I believe He might have received an impulse from the Spirit as He observed how
vain and petty these important people were.
Vs. 7-11 It appears that when Jesus was
invited to a party by a Pharisee, He was a real party-pooper. Talk about having
guts. Anyway, these lessons were for the Twelve, and for us as His disciples.
If you live your life to receive the recognition of men, you cannot be a
disciple. In another conflict with the Pharisees, Jesus said to them in John
5:44, How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not
seek the glory that comes from the only God? I think that verse puts
this section together pretty well. They looked to each other for recognition,
but in the parable, when invited by God, well, they were busy.
Vs. 12-14 And He had a special lesson for the
host. Apparently his goal in inviting some of these people was to receive from
them.
In both of these parables, Jesus is teaching
His disciples something He has explained before; that is, if your treasure is
in heaven, you can live and serve down here with reckless abandon, without
anxiousness and without the need to win approval from others.
Vs. 15-24 This looks like someone tried to change
the subject or get Jesus to say the "amen" to his statement. Verse 16
shows that Jesus was rebutting what this man said. Apparently it was assumed in
what this guy said, that they would all get to heaven. So, why should Jesus
take all of this so seriously? This fits together with what Jesus said
yesterday about striving to get into heaven now, while the opportunity
presented itself. These people who were invited took this all too casually.
This earth is about life and death.
Vs. 25-35 It almost seems to me that Jesus
was walking later and thinking of all that had happened. He realized that most
of the people following Him had no clue how humanly difficult it was to come to
Him.
Vs. 26-27 To follow Jesus would require such
an allegiance to Him that it would take total priority over every other
relationship. Following Jesus would mean willingly going to your death.
Vs. 28-32 I think these stories are given to
get people to want to follow Him, and to do it with a serious understanding.
Even today, people become believers and remain at a place in their lives of
casual commitment. They love church and worship and pot-lucks. They'll even
become missionary tourists and paint a building in Haiti. That is not the same
as living a disciplined life of death and denial on earth every day to follow
Christ, to reach the lost and to make disciples, who make disciples.
V. 33 This is the point of all that Jesus has
said. I think "all" means "all."
Vs. 34-35 A disciple is supposed to be
different and make a difference.
Psalm
80
This looks like another post-exile psalm.
This psalm echoes what Moses/God said would happen. The people would be removed
from the land because of their sin. The appeal made to God is to His
faithfulness and His glory, to remember His promise to their fathers.
This psalm breaks down nicely into three
parts, each concluded by the appeal and refrain of the psalm.
Vs. 1-3 God saved Israel from death by
sending Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Remember how Benjamin played a part in
this story. When God raised up Joseph, He gave Joe two sons who became tribes
in Israel. Then comes the refrain.
Vs. 4-7 But now after their disobedience and
exile, God seems to be ignoring them and their enemies laugh at them. Then
comes the refrain.
Vs. 8-19 God brought them out of Egypt and
planted them like a vineyard with a wall. In v. 12 God broke down their walls,
because of the sin of Israel, and allowed wild animals to ravage the vineyard.
In v. 17 the psalmist asks for the son of
man to come and help them and lead them to restoration. I think that is
prophetic, looking ahead to Jesus. When they call on Jesus in those final days,
the glory of His face will shine upon them.
It is interesting to find portions of
Scripture that inspired songs. I missed mentioning one in Matthew 9:28, when
Jesus asked the two blind men if they thought He could heal them. They said to
Him, Yes, Lord. You know what song
that's in, right? Psalm 80 is sung almost verbatim by a group called The Sons
of Korah and is very good. And on that note, in the NT we read Jesus’ warning
for the would-be disciple to “Consider the Cost,” which is a great song by
Steve Camp.
Proverbs
12:27-28
I prefer and agree with the other reading of
v. 27 given below in the margin of The One Year Bible, "but
diligence is precious wealth." Diligence is the reward that makes a man
rich. And to make the connection to v. 28, the righteous are diligent to live
following the Spirit, following Christ, in His Word, in His harvest, making disciples,
who make disciples.
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/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
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
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