April 4, 2015

APRIL 4

Today's Reading in the ESV One-Year Bible

Deuteronomy 26-27 

Deuteronomy 26

What we have in this chapter is something totally unique. The only thing I can think of like this for the believer is baptism. Because this was also to have been accompanied by an outpouring of rejoicing and generosity, in principle, it sort of trumps baptism. The real question is: Did anyone ever do this?

Vs. 1-4 The first event seems to be something everyone in Israel was supposed to do as an individual and not as part of a regular feast. This could be what is mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, but this seems like a special one-time event. At the time of their very first harvest, each person was supposed to bring a basket of the firstfruits of their harvest to the tabernacle.

V. 3 Then they made this declaration. Notice that it is a reference to the promise to Abraham. Again, people were saved by faith in God's promise to Abraham, not adherence to the law.

V. 4 Then the priest responded by taking those very firstfruits and setting them before the altar.

Vs. 5-11 Then each person was supposed to make this declaration. I have been at baptisms where nothing this heartfelt was said. This is amazing. This is the story of their deliverance attached to the promise to the patriarchs and concluded by worshiping God and celebrating with those you brought with you from your home town.

Vs. 12-15 This also looks similar to Deuteronomy 14:22-29, but here there is also a declaration. This pronouncement is impressive if a person really loved God and obeyed. Look at the different things this person said to God. I wonder if anyone ever did this. If I thought of anyone who might have done this, it would be Boaz in the book of Ruth.

Vs. 16-19 I am so impressed when I read this. I think that if they had only grasped the wonder of their salvation and God's grace and love to them, they would have been an incredible people. And then I think that I wish more churches and disciples could grasp this too. What a difference it would make serving with one mind, side by side in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.

Deuteronomy 27

Vs. 1-8 In preparation for going into the land and the initial dedication of the people before God, God commanded that the entire book of Deuteronomy would be written on stones. Possibly all five books, but certainly Deuteronomy would have been written out. Stones probably gives the wrong impression. It is possible that they built something like Stonehenge in England. The Egyptians and other cultures did this. The technique was known and there was no lack of stone and plaster. It might have looked like a long wall or it might have been a circular series of blocks, but it would have been like a memorial monument. Remember, the fathers of these people built Egyptian cities, pyramids and monuments. They had the skill and know-how. This would be a remembrance of the people "becoming" God's people. Interestingly enough, it would be built on the mountain of the curse, as seen below.

The fact that they were to build an altar suggests that this would be a kind of memorial park, possibly with the altar in the middle and the stones surrounding it.

Vs. 9-10 This was a moment of recommitment to the Lord.

Vs. 11-26 This ceremony was commanded earlier, but restated here with more clarity. It would take place in Joshua 8:33. With the stones and the altar and 2 million people standing on opposite sides of the valley, this must have been an awesome and memorable event. Here we get just a summary of what the curses would sound like. I get the feeling that chapter 28 gives a fuller idea of what the blessings and curses might have actually been.

The examples that Moses gives here are taken from Leviticus and Numbers, giving me the idea that this ceremony would have taken hours to perform, and it took hours of preparation by the priests to locate all the commands and make them blessings and curses.

Although this is just a "taste" of what would be said at the ceremony, it is obvious that the Spirit made sure these examples were given. What kinds of things come to your mind regarding God when you read these curses? I'm glad we don't have an equivalent of this in knowing Christ. The curse is gone and the Spirit dwells within.

Luke 10:38-11:13 

Luke 10:38-42

This is a great story that only Luke has. So, what was the one necessary thing? Isn't it great that it's ok if we live at Jesus' feet. We can take that time even when the world is on fire. God can handle things without us for a while. In fact, we must take that time to be at His feet. If you need some extra Bible work to do, hunt down all the people who ended up at Jesus' feet. That's the one thing that is necessary.

Here we are first introduced to Martha and her sister. Now if you want some interesting trivia about this story, think about when this happened. Jesus had just duked it out with the Jews in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles in John 8-10:21. That was the October before Jesus died. The rest of John 10 happened in December. That means this probably took place in November, just 5 months before Jesus died. I wonder if this was when Jesus met Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In any event, this is when we are introduced to them.

Luke 11:1-13

This is absolutely indispensable discipleship stuff. If we were in a group together, we might need to do these passages on a retreat.

What you get out of these verses is very important. I'll just give you some leading thoughts.
The entire section is a response to the disciples' question on how to pray. It is praying in three parts, but it is one complete lesson and one complete answer to their request, Teach us to pray. Luke introduces this section telling us that Jesus Himself was praying and His prayer life led into this occasion.

Vs. 1-4 Jesus must have taught often about prayer using the Lord's Prayer as His basic lesson. This event is at least a year and a half after His giving of the Lord's Prayer when He selected the Twelve and gave all of His disciples their disciple orientation in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had already taught them how to pray, but now the Twelve are desperately feeling the need.

The occasion for them asking how to pray now is their fear and seeing that public opinion has turned against them. The Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus. To make matters worse, Jesus keeps uttering "suicidal" thoughts about crucifixion or something. They are in need. Before, the Lord's Prayer just sounded like interesting information. Now they are ready to learn. Jesus gives them the "street" version of the Lord's Prayer, but the disciples have heard it before and can fill in the blanks.
The Lord's Prayer is for them to tune their hearts to God in prayer.

Vs. 5-8 Jesus' second lesson is on persistence. This is unique to Luke. Jesus is saying that their insistence and need should be bothersome to God. They shouldn't give up.

Vs. 9-10 This is an application to vs. 5-8 and a bridge to vs. 11-13. This was also in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:7.

Vs. 11-13 Lesson three is on expectance. This was also given in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7, but Jesus changed it a little.

Notice in v. 13 that the Father gives the Holy Spirit; whereas in Matthew, He gives all good gifts. How do you put these two different answers together and figure this out? You can work it out yourself by looking at what Paul says about the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16.

I think there comes a point in following Christ in the harvest when you don't know what specific things to ask for. You know God is working and more than anything you want His will. You trust His wisdom, knowing He will do those things that are needed. You need to accept His leading, and to receive His mercy and patience. You don't need a certain thing; you need the leading and the working of the Spirit. I think Jesus intentionally changed this here so the disciples would see that they didn't need their expectations met. What the Father was doing was beyond their wisdom. They needed the peace and discernment of the Spirit as they followed.

Psalm 76 

So which son of Asaph wrote this psalm, and when? Since a great victory has just been won and the enemy has sunk into sleep (v. 5), I'm going to suggest this was written during Hezekiah's reign when the Assyrians threatened Zion and spoke against Yahweh. The situation was totally impossible, but men prayed and God acted; and the next morning the Assyrian army found that 185,000 of their men had died in their sleep. This is in 2 Kings 19:32-35.

Vs. 1-6 If this is the event, God protected Zion and showed His glory and majesty. This humbling of Assyria became an important event for other nations too. Everyone was talking about Israel's God.

Vs. 7-9 The contrast between the strength and arrogance of the Assyrians and the humility of Jerusalem was pretty apparent. God's judgment made everyone in every nation see that God was to be feared.

Vs. 10-12 The wrath of man was seen in the violence of the Assyrian army and in the words of Rabshakeh. Yet God used all of this for His glory. In a sense God lured Assyria to stand before Zion in its arrogance. In destroying that army, God sent a message to all nations.

God's glory and majesty will be victorious and those who resist Him will be broken. As disciples, this is good to remember.

Proverbs 12:15-17 

I think vs. 15 and 16 are a process that most young people, even Christians, go through. It takes a long time to listen to advice and to be patient when our expectations or plans are not fulfilled. God is a good teacher if we're willing to learn. And we become better, humbler followers of Christ, walking more in the Spirit than in the strength of our ideas or expectations.

V. 17 But what if we say nothing. That is testimony too, right? But it is not in keeping with the grace we have been given so freely in Christ. We are made to bear testimony and to bear fruit in the harvest.

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.

April 3, 2015

APRIL 3

Today's Reading in the ESV One-Year Bible

Deuteronomy 23-25

Deuteronomy 23

V. 1 Somehow this just seems like a discouraging way to begin today's reading. J Just to put this into perspective, it could very well 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 list of top men of all time.

Vs. 2-6 This is a hard command to understand, but linked to v. 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 v. 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 to the 10th generation they can't enter the assembly of the Lord. Now, this would assume that someone from these peoples wanted to give up their gods, join themselves to Israel and worship the only God, Yahweh. I don't know how often that happened. Usually, Israel was the one defecting.

To balance this out, Rahab and Ruth are both examples that God showed mercy and grace to any individuals who came to Him. Rahab was from Canaan and Ruth was from Moab, and both became part of the community of faith. Both are related to Jesus.

Vs. 4-5 Notice the bad press that Balaam gets.

Vs. 7-8 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 in the Millennial Kingdom, they will serve and worship Jesus (Isaiah 19:19-25).

Vs. 9-14 The camp was to remain couth during war because God was among them. Living in the presence of God was something they were to remember at all times.

Vs. 15-16 I take this to mean a slave escaped from another country. This happened to David in 1 Samuel 30:15 with an Egyptian slave they found. Israel was to be a safe haven.

Vs. 17-18 The ends do not justify the means. This covered every kind of prostitution, religious and non-religious. The word for a male prostitute (usually Baal worship) was "dog." Money earned from sinfulness was not to justify the existence of sin, even if the money was given to the tabernacle. I don't think casinos will fare well in the Millennium, even if people say they do bring in revenue.

Vs. 19-20 This may have had something to do with the poor, but it was a general rule also. They couldn't exact interest from their own people. In our movies the poor are always preyed upon by loan sharks. Not so in Israel.

Vs. 21-23 Notice that v. 21 is used by Jesus as He taught His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:33-37. It was not a sin not to make a vow. Jesus said not to do it.

Vs. 24-25 was a provision of mercy for the needy. These were crops that were planted in abundance and this provision was for those who needed daily bread. Just think, this is how the entire nation would have been during the Sabbatical year, that is, every seventh year. I'm sure if you were not destitute and had a morning ritual of going into your neighbor's yard and helping yourself to a handful of his raspberries, the city fathers would have had words with you.

Deuteronomy 24

Vs. 1-4 Divorce is also mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount. 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 and order, for the people of Israel. God was making the point that if a man divorced his wife, he defiled himself and her in the process. 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 The marriage year is a great thing. Can you imagine this? The Lord gave Laura and me two of these.

From v. 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 as collateral or payment for a loan. And you couldn't 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 and they needed the cloak as a blanket at night. By the way, this helps define a poor person in the OT. You were not poor if you had 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. So they needed to be paid that day.

V. 16 In this context this command could have something to do with the debt or crime of a young adult. You couldn't make the parents responsible for the crime.

Vs. 17-18 These verses restate what has been said in the context of poorness; and they state the underlying heart of mercy. The people were always to remember 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. Notice that God's sovereignty also played a role in this. If they "forgot" a sheaf in the field they couldn't go back. Sometimes God makes you forget.

V. 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. Ironically, the giving back we do is following our Lord into the harvest to bear fruit for the Father.

Deuteronomy 25

I think this entire chapter is held together by the same thoughts of mercy, 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 in the sight of others.

V. 4 Even a beast of burden was to be honored as it served. How much more so a man. This verse is applied to people in full-time ministry in the NT by Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 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. For a modern-day version of this practice, check out the Hallmark film, "Loving Leah." It's Hallmark and it's a "chick flick," but it is very good.

Vs. 11-12 What I get from this is the same as in vs. 1-3. Even in defeating a person in a fight, you were to do it respectfully. This is the only time in the Bible a person was to be "maimed" for an action. If a woman needed to defend her man, she was to do it with a stick or a frying pan.

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 punishment upon us. This trick was also played on the poor. In a way, it was like making the poor pay more at convenience stores, because they didn't have the means or the money to get to a real store. Like loan sharking, it was another way to prey on the poor.

Vs. 17-19 I think the point here was that in this fight, Amalek played dirty by attacking the poor and the weak and the defenseless. God isn't into terrorism. Attacking someone who is defenseless shows a lack of fear of God. It took hundreds of years (700?) before this took place. And as suggested in the cases of Rahab and Ruth, if an individual Amalekite would have turned to Yahweh in faith, he or she would have been welcomed and saved.

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. In this case, if you do a search on Chorazin, you'll see Jesus pronouncing this punishment on two different occasions.

Vs. 13-16 These verses continue the "shaking the dust" discourse from yesterday. Jesus denounced these cities on a couple different occasions. Matthew 11:20 gives you the reason Jesus used these examples. Notice the warning and the truth of v. 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 When these guys returned they were very joyful and motivated.

V. 18 Satan hasn't gotten tossed out of heaven yet. That will come during the Tribulation. Satan's power was challenged and broken. The same must have taken place at the resurrection and coming of the Spirit to birth the church.

V. 19 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.

V. 20 This is our true source of joy in any and every situation in this life, on this earth, in this harvest.

Vs. 21-22 Notice Luke's mention of the Holy Spirit and joy. You can tell Luke was a missionary and rubbed shoulders with Paul. This also is an assurance we have, working in the harvest. Those who are open, hear. The Son reveals the Father, not us. I think it is amazing how God makes sure He can be found by a searching heart regardless of education, status or privilege. In fact, those who think they are wise and understanding can't find Him.

Vs. 23-24 This was said privately to the disciples, probably the Twelve. Jesus was repeating this to the Twelve, having said it to them before in Matthew 13:16 when He told them the reason for the parables.

Vs. 25-37 You know this story and it is only recorded in Luke.

Vs. 25-28 The entire context of the story is that this lawyer/scribe wanted to put Jesus on the spot. Jesus answered the question by asking the scribe a question. The very intelligent scribe was only too happy to show everyone how smart he was. It seems that when Jesus told him to go and do what he had just said, the scribe felt he needed to get Jesus to talk more to get Him to say something wrong. He might have felt he needed to show the people that Jesus was a fraud and that he was smarter than Jesus. So far it hadn't worked well.

Vs. 29-37 Since we have read Leviticus and know what God has said about touching dead things, we can understand some of what is going on in this story. Just remember though, this guy was still alive, and if a priest or Levite became unclean, there were ways of being restored.

V. 31 I think it is funny that Jesus says, Now by chance….

Both the priest and the Levite failed to show compassion to their fellow Jew.

Vs. 33-34 Look at how Jesus described this lavish attention and compassion.

V. 35 A denarius was a day's pay at minimum wage. What if every state had a minimum wage of $10.00 per hour? For an eight-hour day that would be $80.00. This guy left twice that, so about $160.00. Now that might not seem like much money in the West, but in some countries, $160.00 will feed someone for months. The point is that this despised Samaritan was very generous.

Vs. 36-37 This story has a special meaning for us as disciples. We are left here to go back into the harvest and show compassion on those who are still lost as we once were. It is amazing to me that people who are saved can forget the mercy they were shown.

As disciples, we can't afford to ever forget the grace, by which we are saved. His love and grace is the only thing we need to be known by. His Word and our following in the harvest keep this fresh for us.

Psalm 75

V. 1 In keeping with the story of the Good Samaritan and our need to go back into the harvest and show the mercy shown to us, look at this verse. We are to recount the wonderful deeds of the Lord. And those deeds begin with the love and grace we were shown in Jesus. He died for us while we were still enemies.

Vs. 2-8 It is out of mercy and love that people need to be warned that judgment will come, but we have something to offer that allows people to escape that judgment.

Vs. 9-10 God's love and His Savior are hidden from the wise and understanding. The horns are a symbol for pride and power. And for the righteous, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Cor. 1:31)

Proverbs 12:12-14

V. 12 Fruit comes from a heart set on God, looking to Him. The wicked emulate the wicked and covet.

V. 13 Living free of trouble comes from a heart secure in God. The wicked are enamored with their word skills.

V. 14 What we do returns to us, so we seek that which satisfies our Lord. You reap what you sow.

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.

April 2, 2015

APRIL 2

Today's Reading in the ESV One-Year Bible

This is just a word of encouragement to keep up in reading your one-year Bible. It is only April in the States and we are already into the dog-days of summer. It's hot and the air is full of pollen; my scale is being very peevish and making things up. I feel like I missed winter, skipped spring and now I'm in summer. Thankfully the Lord remains the same and in spite of how I feel, I feel better when I am sitting quietly with Him, reading His Word and praying every day. Don't worry about the Reading Notes. They are not the Word. And, they will be online until the web is shut down and they are for you to use, or not use, as you please. Keeping up with God in His Word is your life and health as a disciple every day.

Deuteronomy 21-22

Some of the laws given from here on seem random and unconnected. They are interesting as they stand, especially when you think that God thought them up. The laws show something about Him and they make you think of what the point was behind these laws. Even if the laws were only binding for Israel, and then, only for Israel as they were ruled by God (for example, under Roman law the Jews couldn't kill people for adultery or not keeping the Sabbath), there was still a lesson involved in God thinking up that particular law. With some of these laws it could also be there is something going on culturally that we don't get because we weren't there.

One thing you notice is that every now and then, there is a purpose statement given which explains the reason behind the law, or maybe it is a block summary for many laws that have been given to that point. In our reading today, the end of Deuteronomy 21:23 is one of those purpose statements. This is why v. 23 was chosen as a good place for a chapter division. These laws gave order and a sense of respectability and propriety to the customs of the people so that they wouldn't defile the land. (If God were making a nation today; for example, I don't think He would allow people to leave their shopping carts out in the middle of the parking lot, that being a sign of the decay of Western civilization.) They emphasize the reality that the nation is set apart wholly and holy for God.

There might be a connection between the order of these laws and it's fun to try to find it, but even that can be overdone. We'll just have to ask God in heaven why they were given like this. I have a feeling that when we get to heaven we won't care anymore. It is important to remember that these laws were not meant to answer every question and contingency, but rather to give a general rule or judgment from which other rules and judgments could be made for situations not mentioned.

Deuteronomy 21

Vs. 1-9 This was in the days before "CSI" and "Bones." Notice v. 9. The issue of innocent blood was/is no small thing with God. Notice that the priest was involved in this, and since he had the Urim and Thummim, the issue probably could have been solved. We have no proof that this was ever done in Israel. Once we are in Judges we'll see why.

Vs. 10-14 This was definitely a different time and a different culture. Note that this was future oriented, because none of the women in Canaan would have qualified for this. This woman did not have to be a virgin. The occasion would have been after the conquest of Canaan. Some nation would have picked a fight with Israel, been defeated by Israel on the field, and then Israel would have pursued them to their land and taken their cities.

Even though this might seem kind of barbaric to our cultured sensitivities, there was order here. There was no raping and pillaging. This event was totally legislated. They had to be married, man and wife, before anything could happen. The act of the woman having to shave her head and trim her nails sounds similar to the Levites having to cut their hair almost as if to enter their new life/service as newborns. In a way, this was also a "cooling" down period for the man. It could be in those 30 days he decided it was a bad idea. Notice also, there was no sexual relationship until the month had passed. The man went into her as her husband, meaning the social customs had been acknowledged and fulfilled and they were legally married.

There is a sense, too, in which there is mercy in this custom. Worse things could happen to a person, and actually, this could be 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. However, 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 pretty 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 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 saved because she was a Canaanite, but in God's mercy she was not only saved and not only married a cool dude, but she became the great^{29th power} grandmother of Jesus.

Vs. 15-17 It is interesting here that God never commanded that a man should only have one wife. God could have nipped it in the bud right here. The model of creation is one man and one woman, and the best marriages you find in the Bible are just one man and one woman. When God says, "the two become one flesh," it's apparent that that is His model. Why He even allowed polygamy to exist is beyond me. He not only allowed it, but when David messed up, God implied that He would have given David more wives (2 Sam. 12:8). It's clear that monogamy was the rule and having more than one wife was the exception. By Roman times the Jews were totally monogamous, and Christianity never made a provision for more than one wife.

V. 17 It is also interesting that God says the firstborn son is the firstfruits of his (the man's) strength.

Even though God chose to go around this with Esau and Jacob and with Manasseh and Ephraim, for society, this rule kept things fair and in order.

Vs. 18-21 The Swedes (no spankings) would have freaked out about this one. Obviously this is referring to an older teen. The main issue was his rebelliousness, which probably would have shown up in his gluttony and drunkenness. Also, this was done in court; therefore, the elders and the gates of the city are mentioned. It was a very public matter. This wasn't shooting him behind the barn.

So what about the rebellious daughter? Probably the same held true.

Notice the purpose statement at the end of v. 21. Later we will see what happens when there is no punishment or enforcement for these violations. The people became disheartened by the lawlessness and gave up following God's order. A case in point is in 1 Samuel 2:22-36. Because Eli didn't have his sons put to death, as they deserved, people gave up on worshiping or following God.

Vs. 22-23 Death by hanging was usually for public warning. Joshua will do this to the kings of Canaan, to alert the other kings in Canaan and to encourage Israel that God is with them. Also, David will do this to allay a curse brought on Israel for King Saul's extermination of the Gibeonites. In that case the bodies were a public demonstration of payment and restitution for violating a covenant. The most notable case of hanging is referred to by Paul in Galatians 3:13, where he is talking about Jesus being cursed by God for us. God hung His own son as a testimony that payment for sin was made for mankind.

Deuteronomy 22

Vs. 1-4 This is not for the animal; it is for the neighbor. I did this today walking. This huge dog ran up to me. Thankfully I was wearing so many layers that the dog couldn't smell the fear that I'm sure was pouring out of me. But it was just a big fierce looking, slobbery, shedding, loving dog. Yet it kept following me, so I was in a pickle. If I had kept walking, it would have followed me over a busy road. And besides, Rover didn't look intelligent enough to find its way home. So there I stood, until about five minutes later someone missed him. A woman, about half the size of the dog, walked out on the sidewalk, down the block, in her pjs. The last I saw, the dog ran down to her, (picked her up in his mouth and took her into the house, for breakfast, I think. JUST KIDDING!!!!!) Anyway, I guess I fulfilled this command today. How funny.

V. 5 This is not Halloween. This is real cross-dressing. God doesn't think it's funny. He considers it to be perverted sexuality.

Vs. 6-7 I guess you could call this a law of propriety or forced wisdom. For the sake of preserving God's blessing, the people were to curb their desires, act wisely, and to think of the future of the land. Again, from a little case like this, you could probably apply the principle to many other situations where similar wisdom and self control were necessary.

V. 8 Even accidental death because of carelessness was to be avoided by acting wisely. I'm sure this was applied to a lot of other situations, like open wells, for example.

Vs. 9-11 Now these might have had some tie to the culture and to superstition. Even if this was just something that had to do with order and keeping things separate, it would have created a mindset for doing things orderly.

Notice v. 10. Paul quotes this in 2 Corinthians 6:14, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

V. 12 refers to the tassels God commanded to be sown on all of their garments in Numbers 15:37-41. The reason was to make them remember always to obey the Lord. How could you forget what those conspicuous little, dangly things meant? They weren't jewelry. They also would have started some conversations with foreigners.

Vs. 13-21 Note that this law is to keep a man from unjustly getting rid of his wife by insisting she was sexually impure before they were married. This law is a protection for the woman. That is the focus. If the husband was dishonest, he was trying to get back the 50 shekels of silver he gave for the bride price.

Premarital sexual purity was to have been the expected norm. Parents were to testify to their daughter's virginity, and a man expected to marry a virgin. The proof the parents were to bring was the sheet from the wedding night that showed that as the girl had intercourse for the first time, she bled.

On the other hand, if the girl had been a prostitute or the girl and her parents had used prostitution to increase the family income, or if she/they had been involved in Baal worship, these would have all had serious consequences.

The only way the father could have gotten 50 shekels of silver for his daughter in marriage was that she was a virgin. I'm sure the finances of this tempted people to lie. I'm sure there were allowances and the appropriate disclosures for accidents or even rape. The important thing is that the father couldn't say she was a virgin if she wasn't.

Looking at the punishment for the man or the woman, this law would have made premarital sex a very serious and dangerous event. In v. 28, rape meant forced marriage without provision for divorce. In Exodus 22:16 there is a variation of this for seduction, where the girl's father could refuse to have his daughter marry that man. The end result was that premarital sex was not acceptable.

Vs. 22-29 From all of these laws you understand that adultery was punishable by death. An engaged woman was legally married, just not yet married.

V. 24 Note that a woman had to cry for help. The guy couldn't say, "If you yell, I'll kill you," because if she didn't yell she'd die anyway.

All of these laws set a standard by which other situations could be evaluated. In our day, you know that if adultery meant death, fewer people would be willing to do it and it wouldn't be glamorized on TV. And if premarital sex meant a forced marriage, I wonder if people wouldn't take things more seriously. We understand what is allowed in society, and we know that God forgives and gives grace and love; but still, here we see what God's opinion on all this stuff is. And actually, it comes out of His love for us, wanting the best for us.

V. 30 God is simply saying that a son shouldn't marry his stepmother, even if his father dies. That is not only propriety, but it is God's command. Interestingly enough, Paul mentions that someone in Corinth was doing this very thing and that the church approved of it. O Weh!

Luke 9:51-10:12

Luke 9:51-62

Vs. 51-56 This wasn't Jesus' final trip to Jerusalem, but the reality of His death and the rejection of His offer to the Jews added more definition to His training of the Twelve and to His agenda. Actually, Jesus was going up to the Feast of the Tabernacles in John 7; in fact, John 7:2-10 would come right before this.

Before, Jesus had been willing to spend time with the Samaritans. Now, He was given direction via the Spirit, to get to Jerusalem for this very important showdown.

V. 54 It appears that only this Samaritan village reacted this way. This is one time we see James and John earning the nickname Jesus gave them, The Sons of Thunder. There were probably lots of other examples. Notice that when Jesus rebuked them, He turned from them. Jesus did this with Peter also. The next village responded better.

Vs. 57-62 How do you categorize these three men? Try to put these objections in your own words.

Vs. 57-58 This was a scribe, a Pharisee who was well studied in the law. These were usually rich, well-to-do people. Apparently the lack of security and proper accommodations were too much for him.

Vs. 59-60 Notice that Jesus initiated this. He must have noticed one disciple who had potential and had gone up to him and told him to follow Him. Particularly in this case where Jesus selected the man, the man's love for father and family won the day. Jesus said that a person had to "hate father and mother" to follow Him. Notice too that Jesus wasn't put off by this man's objection, but commanded him to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Vs. 61-62 This guy declared his willingness but wasn't ready. So why did he say this? For others? To be recognized by Jesus? Interestingly, Jesus says that the person would not be fit. In the Greek that word actually can mean, "to fit" to something. This kind of commitment doesn't fit to the life and call of a disciple in the harvest.

(Just for your information, you can insert John 7-10:21 here.)

Luke 10:1-12

After the massive rejection Jesus received in John 7-10:21, He was stepping up His discipleship training and also preparing His itinerary for visiting towns on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. If they found towns that were open, Jesus would visit the town, if not, too bad. Much of this looks similar to sending out the Twelve. Jesus still had a lot of disciples. One interesting thought is that the guy who took Judas' place, to fill up the "twelve" in Acts, must have been part of the 70.

Psalm 74

The family of Asaph were singers in the temple from the reign of David to the restoration of the temple after the exile under Ezra and Nehemiah. It looks like this writer wrote after the people returned to Israel following the Babylonian exile.

Vs. 1-3 You notice the appeal for God to remember His promises. Even after Israel returned under Zerubbabel, the people experienced great opposition in rebuilding the temple. It seems that the psalmist is lamenting this.

Vs. 4-8 It seems that the writer is asking God to look at the wanton devastation and to remember their acts of violence.

Vs. 9-11 This is interesting that they are asking for God to reveal His hand by giving them a prophet. God would send both Haggai and Zechariah to motivate the people to continue building the temple. I wonder if this is the outpouring of heart, repeated and sung in their worship that motivated God to send those two men.

Vs. 12-17 This declaration of God as creator is the source of their faith and strength. They might not see God's hand in what was happening in Jerusalem, but in all of the created world they could still draw strength from the fact that God was both there, and able to help them.

Vs. 18-21 God is asked to remember Israel, the dove. And He is asked to remember the covenant with Abraham and the poor and needy.

Vs. 22-23 What cause should God defend? I would think it might be more than Israel. His cause is the redemption of mankind.

Proverbs 12:11

What if works his land simply meant "worthwhile, God-honoring pursuits?" What would happen here if bread meant "nourishment for your spiritual life as a disciple?" Since most people are not farmers, some thinking about the sense of the proverb helps. Also, we know from Deuteronomy that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. The abundance of our hearts as followers of Christ comes from our diligence in working the soil of our hearts with His Word.

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.