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April
18
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Reading
1 - Deuteronomy 1
Click
here to Listen
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v.10
- This is stated here so that when ch.28
is reached, v. 62 can
make the contrast. So Moses refreshes their minds.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.17
- The concept of not respecting persons in judgement is a quality of God
and therefore of righteous judgement - Deut.10:17,
Lev.19:15. It is a requirement that those charged with this job apply
this principle. This is the idea applied by God when he instructs Samuel
in his choice of David from Jesse's sons - 1Sam.16:7
- God looks on the heart.
Peter Cresswell
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v.3
- 40th year marks the time when Deuteronomy was spoken. It was spoken during
the last month of the last year of the wilderness journey. Deuteronomy summarises
the events of the wilderness journey for the benefit of the new generation
who are the children of those who refused to enter the land the first time
[Numbers
13:31]. As such
it is an exhortation to the new generation to learn from the way that God
had been dealing with them in the wilderness.
Peter
Forbes |
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1:13
The counsel of Jethro to Moses which he recounts here 'take you wise men
' forms the basis for the way that the apostles deal with the mater
of the neglected widows in the ecclesia at Jerusalem. (Acts
6:3). We learn that the advice of Jethro and the apostles is good -
it is good not least because those with the grievances have a say in who
helps to resolve the problems. We can learn from this ourselves. When there
is dispute we should think about the sensitivities of those involved when
deciding who will 'sort out' the matter.
Peter
Forbes
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:8
Whilst we may think 'the land
Jacob' is a frequently occurring phrase
in Scripture it is not. It is Joseph's phrase (Genesis
50:24) which is only found in the books of the wilderness journey. (Exodus
6:8, 33:1, Numbers 32:11, Deuteronomy 1:8, 6:10, 9:5, 30:20, 34:4)
Peter
Forbes
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2002
INFLUENCE
Brothers and sisters, friends and the people we work with can have a huge
impact on the decisions we make in our lives. And as a friend we can have
a big influence on the actions of our friends. It was a negative influence
that kept Israel from entering the land. As the people were about to enter
the land they said, "Where can we go? Our brothers have made us loose
heart." By their description of the giants and huge fortified cities,
10 of the spies managed to discourage the Children of Israel so much that
they were too terrified to attempt to enter the land.
Each of the spies had the power to use their words and the description of
what they saw to either encourage Israel to enter the land or to discourage
them. Most of them chose to be discouraging which resulted in the deaths
of the whole nation over the next 40 years.
How do we speak to the people around us? Are our words an encouragement
to them or do we cause them to loose heart? Just like the spies that went
into the land, we have the power and the choice to choose either way. What
we encourage our friends and brothers to do could have a life changing effect
on them. Let's make sure that the effect is a positive one, encouraging
people toward a life of obedience as we head into the promised land.
Robert
Prins |
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Reading
2 - Proverbs 28
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here to Listen
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v.
6 makes a point that is made so often in scripture - may it teach us
not to hanker after riches. v.18,
ch.16:8, 19:1,22, Luke 16:19-23.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.7
- We read this verse and think, in our own experience, how many such young
men would show a lot of concern about shaming their father? There are however
two things come out here. One for those of us who are fathers, that we might
recognise that our sons and daughters behave according to the way we have
shown them. It is therefore a great shame to us if they turn aside, however
much they might be 'adults with their own mind'. But the other point is
for all. We each need to be sure we behave according to the 'righteous upbringing'
we have through our contact with our Heavenly Father's word, that we cause
Him not to be ashamed of us at the end.
Peter Cresswell
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v.
9 So we learn
that God is selective in the prayers he hears. There is no point in being
perverse and yet asking God for things. This warning is behind James' comment
[James
4;1-3]
Peter
Forbes |
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:25,26
Here we have a pair of Proverbs which stress the dangers of only listening
to one's own ideas. Of course our own ideas seem sensible - after all we
would not think that we come to erroneous conclusions so we do well to heed
the Proverbs 11:14
15:22 24:6.
Peter
Forbes
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:24
Whilst we might think that no one would rob their parents the Jews in Jesus
did in that they avoided their obligation to honour their father and mother
(Mark
7:9-13)
Peter
Forbes
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Reading
3 - John 11
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here to Listen
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v.
5 - This devotion which Jesus had for this family who gave him much
care and shelter shows that he really did have emotions like ours. We tend
to think that he remained that little bit distant, but this chapter (see
v.8, v.36) shows
us that he did have close relationships with people and the emotions involved
in leaving these people when he died on the cross would be just as great
as ours. ch.15:13,
17:26.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.
11 Jesus on two
occasions speaks of death as a sleep. The raising of Jairus' daughter Matthew
9:24 Mark 5:39 Luke 8:52 And the raising of Lazarus
here It is interesting
that Jesus uses the word 'friend' very rarely in the gospels. Matthew
26:50 Luke 12:4 here John 15:14,15
Peter Forbes |
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11:37
:46 Notice the contrast between the two groups of 'some of them' Some
were sympathetic to his suffering whilst others simply wanted him out of
the way.
Peter Forbes
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:2
Whilst the anointing of Jesus is mentioned here the event did not take place
for some time and is recorded in John 12. It is mentioned here because there
is a thematic link between this even and the time when she actually performed
the acts. So we should note this point in our minds so that when we come
to the event we will be alert to links between the event and the raising
of Lazarus in this chapter.
Peter Forbes
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