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April
1
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Reading
1 - Numbers 15
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here to Listen
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v.
15 - Even right back here there is the suggestion that the stranger
might have the right to God's mercy as well, as long as he is in the camp,
and has performed the rites required to be part of the camp in circumcision
and the acceptance of God's laws. [Gen.17:12,
Ex 12:48]. This
law (v.29)
extended right through. The stranger, in order to be accepted within the
flock of God, had to abide by every rule and ordinance of God - just as
it is now. We live among so many well-meaning people who throw away their
chance to be part of God's flock by ignoring parts of his message and substituting
their own theories. Ex.12:49,
Lev.24:22, Num.9:14, Gal.3:28, Eph.2:11-22, Col.3:11.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.38-41
- God here shows his awareness of human weakness and our need for constant
reminder. They had to sew fringes to their garments that they might remember
what God had done for them, and so that they did not go astray. There may
well be ways we too could do this for ourselves, to make an association
with some physical aspect of our lives which we see many times a day, and
use that to remind us, so that each time we see it we think of the wonderful
redemption wrought in Jesus. The fact that this blue was on the hem of their
garments has interesting implications for the following - Matt.9:20,
23:5.
Peter Cresswell
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v.
34
That they put this man in ward shows that the law of Moses did not legislate
for every action. We saw the same in Leviticus
24:12. This marks
a shortcoming in the law of Moses when compared with the law of the spirit
of life in Christ - Romans
8. Also this
realisation should cause us to appreciate that we must have this word 'in
our hearts ...' so that we have at our immediate disposal the word to answer
the trials of life.
Peter
Forbes |
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15:30
The law concerning the presumptuous sinner is given specifically because
of the way that some (14:44)
'presumed' to go up in contradiction of the instruction of God through Moses.
Peter
Forbes
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:2
Notice that immediately after Israel were told that they could not enter
the land God talks about the future when they will eventually enter the
land. Against the background of the despair that must have been Israel's
there is a glimmer of hope.
Peter
Forbes
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Reading
2 - Proverbs 11
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here to Listen
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v.
4 - A very important lesson for us in 20th century prosperous times.
Every aspect of life is geared towards telling us that money and possessions
are everything. Many of us need to learn this lesson. It is not surprising
that Job records words on this subject [36:18-19].
See also Ps.49:6-8,
Zeph.1:18, Matt.16:26, Luke 12:20.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.6
- We need to be among the righteous for our hope to be valid. Righteousness
is of God. Let us therefore throw ourselves wholly on His mercy and grace,
which is the only way to salvation. Without this there is no hope of being
righteous.
Peter Cresswell
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v.
13
Proverbs has much to say about the 'talebearer' Proverbs
25:9 26:20,21,22 None of it is flattering. We see an example in the
days of Nehemiah of the impact that a partisan spirit has on a nation Nehemiah
6:17,18,19 12:6 to lie in wait for blood is condemned in the Proverbs
However it is an element of the Godless behaviour of Israel in the time
of Hezekiah. Hosea
7:6 Micah 7:2 This was because, in Hezekiah's day, even though he was
a good king the majority of the people did not heed his call to spiritual
renewal. Consequently, even though Hezekiah's faith delivered the people
from the Assyrian they were taken captive by the Babylonians some time later.
Peter
Forbes |
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:4
and 10:27 provide an interesting pair of verses. In both the writer,
by the Spirit, demonstrates that serving God has benefits. Of course the
final reward will be at the time of the return of Jesus to the earth.
Peter
Forbes
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:22
'Jewel' 05141 is the same word as 'ring'
Genesis
24:22 - which the first occurrence of the word in Scripture. Rather
like casting pearls before swine (Matthew
7:6)
Peter
Forbes
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Reading
3 - Luke 24
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here to Listen
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v.44
- 46 - These men that had been specially chosen, not just to be Jesus'
followers but to proclaim the gospel with the direct help of God's Holy
Spirit after Christ's ascension, finally understood what it was all about.
Their joy, at last, was full - but look at the suffering and heartache that
they had gone through - seeing their Lord and Master crucified and not understanding
- to get to this position of final perfection of thought. There is a lifetime's
work available to us here. Each of us needs to dedicate our lives to this
acquisition of God's wisdom. Ex.4:11,
Job 33:16, Ps.119:18, Isa.29:10-19 Acts 26:18.
Peter Cresswell
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v.33
The phrase 'the eleven' should not be taken to mean all the disciples except
Judas because Thomas was not there [John
20:24]. So we
must conclude that the phrase 'the eleven' replaces the phrase 'the twelve'
seen in the following passages Matthew
10:2 20:17 26:14,20,47 Mark 4:10 6:7 9:35 10:32 11:11 14:10,17,20,43 Luke
8:1 9:12 18:31 22:3,14,30,47 John 6:67,71 20:24
Peter Forbes
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Isaiah
35 gives a wonderful picture of the redemptive work in Christ. The narrative
about the two on the road to Emmaus echoes that passage - and the wonderful
ideas it contains.
24:25
fools Isaiah 35:8
24:33
returned to Jerusalem Isaiah 35:10
The two were the first to experience the joys of 'sorrow and sighing' fleeing
away (Isaiah
35:10). They were the first but we can join with them at the resurrection.
Do we really believe these things?
Peter Forbes |
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:50
Whilst the leading of the disciples to Bethany for the ascension is
recorded immediately after the promise of the holy Spirit we should realise
that the ascension took place 40 days after the resurrection
Peter Forbes |
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Were the
two disciples going to Emmaus husband and wife? We know one of them was
Cleopas (v18),
and John tells us that his wife Mary went to the foot of the cross during
the crucifixion (John
19.25). With both of them in Jerusalem for the passover, it seems probable
that Cleopas would travel home to Emmaus with his wife. Luke
24.28-29 supports this, where it appears to say that they live in the
same house.
Martyn
Lawrence |
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