If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
APRIL 6
Deuteronomy 29-30
We are at the end of the sermon and almost at the end of the books of
Moses. These five books are some of the hardest for people to read, but they
are incredibly important to understanding the flow of God's plan through the
Bible and the fulfillment of His plan in Jesus. Even though I'm living
thousands of years since these were written, as I read Deuteronomy my heart
responds to God's love and promises. I feel what God wants to do with these
people. I understand the blessing of it because I've experienced the spirit of
this blessing in Christ. The difference is that I've been set free from the
bondage of sin. I also have the complete Word of God, and I have the Spirit
living in me to help me. Even then I struggle. These people didn't have that
advantage. But they did have some advantages. They saw miracles daily. They
were receiving the same Word. And we'll see today, that they were saved by
faith and told how to express it. Some of these men and women will be standing
with us in the kingdom. I'll want to ask them, "What was it like?"
Deuteronomy 29
Vs. 1-9 This is a summary of the miracle of their lives for 40 years.
Every day was a miracle, not only in what happened (the manna) but in what
didn't happen (sickness and clothes and shoes wearing out). But did they
understand what was happening and what God was doing?
V. 4 This is a key verse. Even though God had done amazing things for
Israel, they didn't have a heart of understanding. The blame is somehow on God.
He didn't give it to them. It is not that God should have taken away their free
will and "made them understand," but that God did not subject them to
the full rigors of a program that would have led them to real understanding.
They learned a lot in the wilderness in 40 years, but to lead them to real
understanding would take thousands of years. Israel is still in process. God
will not magically induce sudden obedience and understanding, but the weight of
their history, their coming desperation, and the way things will fall into
place in the last days will create a sense of seeking God that Israel has never
possessed.
This is how God works with us too. He doesn't put us in a spiritual
trance and override our wills, but rather molds our hearts and minds as we
follow and as we suffer. Some of us actually get tired of banging our heads on
the wall and hurting ourselves and say, "You know, I think I'm seeing that
God does have a couple of good ideas."
V. 9 In the absence of understanding (taking to heart) all that God had
done for them, and understanding all God was doing in the plan of redemption
for mankind, they were told just to obey. I may not understand the mechanics of
how a circuit board works and I may not understand all the implications of
events, but I can obey, so that if the red light goes on, I obey and push that
button. That's what Israel was supposed to do.
Vs. 10-15 This entire sermon is for the renewal of the covenant, but
here the purpose is stated. The mention of the promise to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob is not an historical reference. It is the power behind what is happening
there. This is the object of their faith. In a few verses we'll see that this
is really driven by faith.
Vs. 14-15 If you want to see an interesting connection, look at vs. 5
and 6 in our psalm for today. Actually today’s entire installment of Psalm 78
(4 in all) has to do with the history we are reading about.
Vs. 16-29 Notice in vs. 18 and 19 there are two bewares, addressed to two different kinds of people, one religious,
and one unreligious. Notice that these two people become one person, referred
to now by a singular pronoun. This one person becomes responsible for vs.
22-29. The concept is that one person can lead to the downfall of the entire
nation if they do not beware and obey the Lord.
V. 22 Notice how important the next generation is. This is exactly what
Asaph says, and laments, in the psalm.
Notice that God's truth will still be acknowledged by the nations, even
in Israel's ruin in vs. 24-28. The nations will understand that Israel's
downfall was caused by their lack of faith and obedience.
Vs. 26-27 Notice that the evidence of their disobedience will be idol
worship. For our modern, western minds idol worship seems utterly crazy, but we
have just learned to hide and disguise our idols. The therefore in v. 27 is important.
V. 29 seems to be saying, "Don't try to figure out God. Just
respond to what you know, what He has done, and obey Him."
Deuteronomy 30
Vs. 1-10 What I find interesting here is that God already knows they
will fail. God will be using them to show all of mankind the absolute power of
sin without God's intervention. But God will honor Israel for using them like
this and He will fulfill all the promises. Not only that, all of their history
and God's working in all their generations will lead them to understand. Look
at v. 6. This hasn't happened yet, but in the Tribulation Israel will finally
submit its heart to God and become God's loving, testifying people for the next
1007 years.
Do you notice recurring phrases? Notice how often it says, the Lord (Yahweh) your God.
Vs. 11-14 To understand what Moses and God are saying here, you need to
read this in Romans 10:1-10. Salvation, then and now, is by faith. Salvation
for them, and for us, is a very simple deal. It happens by believing God's
promise and responding in love to Him. Our sin complicates this, exponentially.
It's a good thing God doesn't give up.
Vs. 15-20 This is the climatic end of the message. Wow! Notice how
often love is mentioned. I don't think you can find a message from God more
caring and loving. And to think, as this message was given, there was a pillar
of cloud over the tabernacle, and they had eaten manna that morning.
What this all inspires in me is the understanding that I need to live
in absolute trust of God and His plan. There is much I don't understand, but I
know His love in Christ and how I've been saved by grace from this tragedy of
lost humanity. I need to cry out and not complain, understanding that He meets
my needs and hears my voice as I follow Him in the harvest. I need to
understand His love and His plan and even when I don't understand, I need to
follow and obey. He is loving, and Jesus did much more than He will ever ask of
me. What an easy life it would be if I really understood all that and followed.
The central point of all of this obedience and following, even for us as
disciples, is not perfection, but the love of God. We acknowledge His great
love and acts of kindness, and then we feebly try to show our gratitude and
love by following our Savior in the harvest to let others know what He has done
for us. Disciples are made, fruit is borne, the Father is glorified and we are
shown to be Jesus' disciples. And it's all out of love.
Luke 11:37-12:7
Timewise, this is still the November before Jesus' sacrifice for us.
Luke 11:37-54
Vs. 37-41 I find it interesting that Jesus was willing to accept an
invitation to a Pharisee's house, knowing what kind of confrontation would
arise.
So, why did Jesus react like this? It seems that Jesus is starting the
fight. Didn't He know how to blend with people? I only say this because we put
so much emphasis on meeting people halfway and never saying anything that would
offend anyone. These people were in a special category, leaders of the people,
and Jesus had tried to show them a lot of love and patience, like in John 5.
I think Jesus' words here are a response to the deadly influence of the
leaders. In the first 36 verses of this chapter Jesus was confronted by the
people, not the leaders, regarding the origin of His power and His failure to
show a sign of His Messiah-ship. Where had the people learned to explain away
Jesus and the signs He did? The leaders had taught them. They had given the
people a lie to hinder them from entering the kingdom of God, and it was
working. Jesus now, understandably, has words for the leaders.
Vs. 42-44 If you want to underline something, look at the
"woes." Actually, the Pharisees get off kind of easy. Their main sin
was hypocrisy. In light of all we've read in Leviticus, v. 44 is interesting. A
person became unclean before the Lord and unable to worship before the Lord by
walking on graves. Jesus is saying that even by accidental contact with the Pharisees
or their teaching, people became unable to come before God. That was a huge
charge against them, but remember that Jesus is God the Son. Who better to
utter this judgment?
Vs. 45-52 The reason this scribe butted in was that, aside from their
personal hypocrisy, the Pharisees were only following what they, the
scribes/lawyers, had laid out as an interpretation of the law. This guy should
have kept his mouth shut.
V. 46 The scribes were also hypocrites. They thought the people were
"sinners" and damaged goods. The scribes and Pharisees were OK before
God. But they had to make the laws harsh for the "cattle," of which
they were not a part.
Vs. 47-51 This was not just a "bomb," it was a nuclear
strike. Can you imagine hearing that all of the sins of rebellion to God's Word
of all previous generations would come upon your generation because of YOU.
That is what Jesus is telling them, Jesus the Son of God, God the Son, the Son
of Man. This judgment would come when the temple would be destroyed, in 70 A.D.
This is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 7:29.
V. 49 One interesting note here is that Jesus says, “Therefore also the Wisdom of God said…” There
is a line of thinking that when it talks about the wisdom of God creating in
Proverbs 3:19 and 8:22ff, it is actually referring to Jesus. In John 1:3, it
says that Jesus was the creator in terms of design and command. Anyway, it is
interesting here that Jesus personifies the
Wisdom of God in condemning the scribes. On Wednesday before He dies, Jesus
will pronounce these same woes on the scribes and Pharisees again in Matthew
23, but when He gets to this pronouncement in v. 34, Jesus says, “Therefore I send you prophets and wise men…."
Pretty interesting, I think.
Luke 12:1-7
V. 1 So, how do you think these two paragraphs are connected to what
just happened? Oddly enough, this section seems kind of reflected in the
Proverb for today.
Vs. 2-3 What is the link between vs. 1 and 2? It seems to be that the
leaven of the Pharisees involved concealing the truth. Jesus is also telling
His disciples to avoid hypocrisy at all costs. God will always actively bring
truth to light, even among His own children. Many men in ministry haven't taken
this warning seriously.
Vs. 4-7 Jesus launches into another training session for His disciples.
Much of this has been said before in the Sermon on the Mount, but that was 18
months ago. Now the disciples were entering a tunnel with Jesus and they would
emerge, figuratively speaking, in a stadium for a contest to the death. They
would now become, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:9, like men sentenced to death…a spectacle to the world, to angels and to
men.
The reality was that the Pharisees would win, temporarily. And in every
generation of those working in the harvest, there are times when the wicked win
and the followers of Christ are like sheep for the slaughter. God is in control
of that too, for His good purpose.
Vs. 6-7 If you read this in the Sermon on the Mount, you'll see the
slight difference in the sparrows. It's interesting that the references to the sparrows and the hairs of your head (proving that God can subtract, in my case) are
meant to give us confidence to proclaim the truth in the face of opposition.
The song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow," is a comforting song, and I'm
sure it's ok to apply the sparrows to
comfort in knowing God always sees us and that He knows us intimately. Not
trying to be pushy, but the context of the sparrows
here in Luke is comfort in the crisis of trying to reach the lost with the
truth of the gospel in a dying, resistant world. It is easy for us to remove
"mission" and the "compelling love of Christ," and to see
the whole point of God's comfort and love only as it is directed toward us to
help us in our loneliness and need. I don't think that directing all of our
prayer and worship to our personal need makes God happy. Christianity can
easily become all about our needs and not about reaching a dying world. To get
the power of what Jesus is saying here, you have to be in the harvest with your
life on the line to reach the lost and make disciples.
As disciples, we will never be free of fear. Not only are we tempted to
focus on what others think about us, but we think that our skill in the delivery
of the truth is vital. We concentrate so much on ourselves that we lose the
compassion that compels us to follow Christ into the harvest. In truth, we
really fear people and persecution. I don't think we'll ever get over it. Even
Paul had to remind Timothy to be willing to suffer for the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8,
2:3, 4:5) and Paul himself pleaded with the Ephesians to pray for him that he
would have courage to proclaim the message boldly (Eph. 6:19-20). But love
casts out all fear, and guess whose love that would be.
Jesus' discipleship sermon continues tomorrow.
Psalm 78:1-31
This psalm will be spread over the next four days. This song sounds a
little like the sermon of Stephen that got him killed, the punch line being, You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in
heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). But here the
message is a little more positive with a double-pronged agenda.
First: The psalmist is saying to Israel, "Obey God. Don't rebel
like Israel did when He did amazing things and led them out of Egypt."
Second: He is saying to them, "Obey God and submit to David (or
the house thereof). God decided not to choose Ephraim, but to choose Judah, and
has done amazing things by delivering us and giving us peace through the
leadership of David."
I'm explaining all of this, only because it will be easy to get lost in
this psalm over the next few days and forget the point of its message. And,
since the point of the psalm is revealed at the end, it would be helpful to
know what's going on at the beginning.
It's hard to know when this was written, but it might have been during
the hand off of the kingdom from David to Solomon, or it might have been
written after the civil war with Absalom when there was a danger that the
northern 10 tribes would break away.
Vs. 1-4 Note vs. 2 and 3. Matthew quotes this in Matthew 13:35, as one
of the reasons Jesus used parables. At this point it seems that God is saying
that the history of Israel leading up to the throne of David was a long
determined plan of God. David was revealing some aspect of the mystery of God's
plan.
Vs. 5-8 Notice the references to teaching children. These verses sound
like Moses in Deuteronomy.
Vs. 9-16 The reference to the Ephraimites in v. 9 will make sense when
you get to vs. 67-72. Remember in Genesis that Jacob gave the firstborn right
to Ephraim over his other sons, but even in Jacob's blessing of his sons, God
moved him to give Judah preeminence. Later, in Numbers, we see Judah being the
largest tribe. Of all the men of fighting age who went into Canaan to spy it
out, only two men, one from Ephraim and one from Judah, were faithful to God.
When it came to God's decision, He chose Judah to lead Israel, not Ephraim.
David was chosen and God made a covenant with him and the Christ was to come
from the line of David.
Here, the psalmist is showing that Ephraim didn't lead the people to
obedience to God during the time in the wilderness. But that is what David (a
son of Judah) is doing now.
Vs. 17-31 You recognize this as the event recorded in Numbers 11.
The rest of this psalm should be very familiar to you. Notice the
alternating of blessing and disobedience. God is making a case for His
steadfast love and amazing mercy.
For us as disciples, I would say the message is, "Obey God, be amazed
at what He has done and submit to what He is doing." I've wasted too much
time complaining about what God has done that I haven't liked, to the point of,
really, forgetting God and missing His love.
Proverbs 12:19-20
The moral of the story is "tell the truth and plan for
peace." Notice too that there is the thought of longevity of life and
influence in all of this. The more you think about these verses, the deeper
they lead your thoughts.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
No comments:
Post a Comment