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March
11
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Reading
1 - Leviticus 19
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here to Listen
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v.
14 - Here is a principle not just for our care in dealing with those
with these physical infirmities, but also with spiritual implications in
the way that we act towards those who are spiritually blind and deaf.
Lev.25:17, Deut.27:18, Rom.14:13, 1Pet.1:17.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.17
- Here is a very poignant way of telling us that the principle of Christian
life is love. Jesus said to love our enemies even. Hatred is inherent in
our nature but can be suppressed to such a degree that we never hate anyone.
To do this we must listen to God and not to the views of society in which
we live, which almost romanticises the concept of hate, which ultimately
leads to violence and war.
Peter Cresswell
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19:11
neither lie one to another Ephesians 4:25 Colossians 3:9
19:17
rebuke Ephesians 5:11
19:18
Thou shalt not avenge Romans 12:17
19:18
Thou shalt love thy neighbour Romans 13:9 Galatians 5:14 James 2:8 etc:
There
are other places where this is quoted but the three listed above expound
its meaning to the disciple of Christ in a helpful way.
Honesty is the only basis for a true and lasting relationship Leviticus
19:11 so we 'rebuke' unrighteousness but not in a vengeful way because
the law is fulfilled in those who love their enemies.
Peter Forbes
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:35,36
There is a relationship between the way in which Israel were to execute
right judgement on others and the way that they dealt with them in business.
They were not simply to say the right things but then defraud their brethren.
As well as speaking the 'truth' they had to live it. The same, of course,
is true for ourselves.
Peter Forbes
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:19
The command not to mix seeds or cloth is re-presented in Deuteronomy
22:11 and developed. This law teaches the importance of fellowship with
those who believe the same things.
Peter Forbes
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Reading
2 - Psalm 119:81-128
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here to Listen
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v.81-86
- In a fascinating way this fits with what we were saying about Leviticus
19 above. David here (v.82)
claims to be blind - blind to the understanding of the time scale of God's
coming comfort. In v.
85, the proud
have digged pits for him - that he, in his blindness might fall into them.
This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in - waiting (blind to the
knowledge of the day or the hour) for God's comfort. And yet we must not
fall into the many pits that the proud have digged for us, but be watchful,
so as not to miss that time when it comes. This human problem is mentioned
in several places. v.123,
Ps.69:3,
Deut.28:32, Prov.13:12
- but we are not left without hope, in the current Psalm, or anywhere else
in this context - Ps.86:17,
90:13-15.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.92,
along with verses
24,77 and 143, show us that our faith can be a real comfort for us when
things go wrong. Let us rememebr that ready for the next chastening God
sends us.
Peter Cresswell
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vs
92-93 again show how David survived the trials of life by having respect
to the word of God.
Peter Forbes |
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:83
the bottle in the smoke is not a glass bottle becoming discoloured. Rather
it is a animal skin which, on exposure to smoke would become hard and brittle
and soon develop cracks and be useless. So David is saying that he is wasting
away but still continues his service to God. Age and infirmity is no bar
to service of God.
Peter Forbes
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:81
The fainting soul should be the mind of the bride of Christ - Song
of Solomon 5:6
Peter Forbes
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Reading
3 - Luke 2
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here to Listen
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v.
11 - Just a small point from this very familiar chapter. Note here our
'Zion' theme that we keep returning to. Jesus here is born 'in the city
of David' - in Zion. This makes him a fulfilment of Ps.87:5,
as a type of firstfruits for those that would later be born in him and therefore
enjoy the same state through his atonement and God's grace and mercy. 'Glorious
things are spoken of you, O city of God.' - Ps.
87:2,3, Gal.4:4,5, 2Tim.1:9,10
Peter Cresswell
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v.12
The
phrase 'young child' as translated here only occurs in the following places
Matthew 2:8,9,11,13,14,20,21 and is always used to speak of Jesus in the
context of the 'wise men'. Whereas the word 'babe' is used at the time
of the visit of the shepherds at Bethlehem. Luke
2:12,16 implying
that by the time the 'wise men' arrived the 'babe' had grown to be a 'young
child' indicating a time gap between the two events.
Simeon's
Use of Scripture - Luke
2:25-35
v.26
'Lord's Christ' - Psalm
2:2 'Lord anointed'
v.30
'seen thy salvation' Genesis
49:10 'waited
for thy salvation'
v.32
'light to lighten the gentiles' Isaiah
42:6 'light
of the gentiles'
v.32
'glory of thy people Israel' Isaiah
45:25 'Israel
be justified and shall glory'
v.34
'sign spoken against' Psalm
22:6 'a reproach
of men'
v.35
'a sword shall pierce' Psalm
42:10 'with
a sword in my bones'
Peter Forbes
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2:2
In tying the 'taxing' to a specific event - when 'Cyrenius was governor
of Syria' Luke lays himself open to scrutiny and accusations of inaccuracy.
A little detail which, when conformed, highlights the historical accuracy
of his gospel. If his history is accurate we should be able to accept the
veracity of the rest of his writing.
Peter Forbes
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2:13
Just a little point. We think of the angels singing praises. This understanding
is a consequence of the Christmas story, not the Scripture record. Luke
says that they were 'saying'
Peter Forbes
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