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April
11
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Reading 1 - Numbers 29 & 30
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Peter Cresswell
An implication at a spiritual level is that whatever we determine to do for the Lord, God could disallow, as our Father. But at least there is then forgiveness. Are we accepting of the things to which God says no?
Peter Cresswell
29 v.39 The repetition of the details of the feasts in different parts of the law forces the point that the detail and correct observance of the feasts were critical to Israel. Consider why different feasts are mentioned in different groupings. Here we have no Passover, for example.
30
v.3 - 8 The
way that the vow of the woman who is 'under' a man is dealt with is instructive.
Her father, if she is at home, or her husband, if she is married, can
disannul her vow because he is her 'head'. A pattern of Christ and the
bride. Of course just as the bride of Christ should know the mind of the
groom well enough not to make a 'rash' Ecclesiastes
5:2 vow which
he would not approve the wife should behave so in her marriage.
Peter
Forbes
ch.29
- This chapter continues the list of elements of the law to be observed
:1
Blowing of trumpets
:7
Day of atonement
:12
Tabernacles
(with details for each day :13,
17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35)
30:1,2
Provides the basis for (Ecclesiastes
5:4) When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he
hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Peter
Forbes
29:40 So even though Moses knows that he will not enter the land he continues to prepare Israel for the time when they will be in the land. Such is the selflessness of the man Moses. A pattern for us. What we do for God should not be based on self interest. It should be based on pleasing God.
30:9
That a widow or divorced woman could not have her vow disanulled show
how that the married woman is not independent from her husband - she is
'an help' (Genesis
2:18)
Peter
Forbes
Reading 2 - Proverbs 21
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Peter Cresswell
Peter Cresswell
Peter Forbes
Peter Forbes
Peter Forbes
Reading 3 - John 2 & 3
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Peter Cresswell
2 v. 12 Below is a list of the occasions when we are told that His family members came to see him. Matthew 12:46 Mark 3:32 Luke 8:19 here It is only in John that there is no indication of displeasure amongst them. The unbelief of his family must have been a great sorrow to Jesus - only removed at the time of his death when his mother was at the foot of the cross and after his resurrection when he appeared to James 1 Corinthians 15:7 This experience of Jesus should help us to put into perspective our own families reactions - or lack of response to the message of salvation.
Chapter 3
| Similarities between John 3 and John 8 | ||
| 3:1 | Nicodemus | 7:50 |
| 3:19 | I am the light of the world | 8:12 |
| 3:19 | Walk in darkness | 8:12 |
| 3:4 | Ye judge after the flesh | 8:15 |
| 3:11 | bearing witness | 8:18 |
| 3:13 | I am from above | 8:23 |
| 3:12 | believe not | 8:24 |
| 3:14 | son of man lifted up | 8:28 |
| 3:16 | not see death | 8:51 |
Jesus
took the opportunity to preach to Nicodemus, seeing him in the audience
in John 8. Clearly Nicodemus responded to the teaching of Jesus as he
begged the body of Jesus [John
19:38-39]
Peter Forbes
2:13
This is the first Passover which John records.
So when Jesus cast out the money changers the temple would have been teeming
with people who had come to Jerusalem for the feast from all over the
Roman empire. They would be unfamiliar with the way that things were done
in Jerusalem but doubtless were amazed at what Jesus did.
3:1
(2:25) In chapter 2:25
we learnt that Jesus knew what was in man. 3:1
introduces a man whose heart Jesus read.
Peter Forbes
2:23-24 In saying 'many believed' and 'did not commit ...' we find the same word used. So whilst many wanted to give themselves to Jesus he was not willing to compromise his position. He knew how fickle the human heart is.
3:8
'but canst not ... goeth' quotes Ecclesiastes
11:5. Look at that area of Ecclesiastes and see other similarities
of ideas and language. Jesus is looking at the way that Eccl speaks of
the purpose of life. That is what Nicodemus, at this time, did not understand.
Peter Forbes
One of the earliest things Jesus did in his public ministry was to cleanse the temple. He had found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and exchanging money. He said, "Get out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
God's temple, his house was to be a house of prayer for all nations. It was a place where men and women from all over the world could come to learn of God, to worship him and to pray, yet the Jews had turned it into a shopping mall, a place to make money. Their actions made the temple into an unclean place that needed to be cleansed.
Just as the Jews strayed from the primary use of the temple as a place of worship, it is easy for us to do the same. Where are our thoughts as we come to the place where we worship? Are our thoughts centered purely on the God we have come to be with and to praise, or do our minds pollute God's holy place with business, personal grievances, criticism, and impure thoughts? We need to make our worship times into true times of pure worship - not the unclean market that Jesus had to cleanse.
Let's get back to the house of God.
Robert Prins