May 15

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May 15

Reading 1 - Deuteronomy 32

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v. 7 - Many verses in scripture emphasise the responsibility that we have to impart the knowledge of God to the next generation - and here we see that that responsibility is not just one of parents but also of those who are considered the elders. We all have the care of our young people to address effectively. Ps.44:1, Exo.13:14, Job 8:8-10, Ps.78:3,4.
Peter Cresswell

v.11 - We can be sure we are safe under the all encompassing safety of the wings of our God. His parenting is beyond our experience and always righteous. Let us remember that we always have his care for us, and so determine to give back our praise and thanks in all that we do. Exo.19:4, Isa.31:5, 40:31, 46:4, 63:9
Peter Cresswell

v.10 That Israel was the apple of God's eye is not in doubt. However we see that this description also is used of the law and as a lament as well as a warning. Psalm 17:8 Lamentations 2:18 Zechariah 2:8 See also Proverbs 7:2
Peter Forbes

32:2 'as the dew' is picked up and used of the blessings of Yahweh. (Deuteronomy 32:2 Psalm 133:3 Isaiah 26:19 Hosea 14:5)

32:7 At least one person took notice of what Moses said. (Psalm 143:5)
Peter Forbes

:18 Forgetfulness was a characteristic of Israel in the wilderness. But as well as forgetting what God had done they gave scant regard to His provision also. Familiarity with His provision had blunted the senses. How often do we lightly esteem the things of God because we take them for granted?
Peter Forbes

v.3-4 - Note how often the names of Deity are used and the many variations or titles of God.
They appear in the following order:
"LORD" - Yahweh - v.3
"God" - Elohim - v.3 (sometimes applied to false "gods" - v.17)
"Rock" - Tsur - v.4 (sometimes applied to a false "rock" - v.31)
"God" - El - v.4
"Most High" - Elyon - v.8
"God" - Eloah - v.15
For all the significance and beauty of the Names there is this question to ponder; v.6 - "is not he thy father (Isa. 63:16, 64:8; Mal.1:6; IChron. 29:10) that bought thee?"
Surely the lesson of the "Rock" is for us as well as Israel.
Matt. 16:18 - "Upon this Rock (the Christ) I will build my Ecclesia"
Deut. 32:4 - "He (Yahweh) is the rock, His way is "perfect" - Cp. v.5 with Phil. 2:15
v.15 - "They lightly esteemed the Rock"
v. 18 - "of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten God that formed thee."
Do we follow Israel's example?
David Pride

SCRIPTURE IN SONG

It is interesting to see, as we read through the Bible, how many parts of scripture we instantly recognize as having learnt because we have heard them in song. It is not that we have purposely gone out to memorize parts of the word of God, yet because so much of it has been set to music, we remember what it says. It was for this reason, I believe, that Moses gave Israel this message in a song. God told him, "Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and make them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them." (Deut 31 v 19). So Moses sung the song to all Israel. The music, the rhythm, the rhyme and the words all help us to remember it. And so this was a song that would have been remembered by the Israelites for a long time to come.

This particular song was much more than just a nice piece of music. It warned Israel of the choice they would make about serving God in the future. So Moses said, "Take to heart all the words that I have solemnly declared to you today ... they are not just idle words for you - they are your life."

The lesson is for us to do the same. Let's get the word of God into our minds and hearts by music or whatever means we can. Let's take it's message to heart and live by what we have learned.
Robert Prins

Reading 2 - Isaiah 5

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v.1-7 - The fate that is clearly set out here for Israel as a result of their turning to their own things is lesson enough, but the vine, into which we can be grafted, gives us so many lessons throughout scripture. Jesus picks it up too.
Peter Cresswell

v.16 - There is little we can do that is of greater eternal consequence than to magnify the Lord of Hosts. It is through the continual praise of His name that we find ourselves humbled and able to reognise the magnitude of his grace and mercy by which we are called to the offer of salvavtion thought the atonement which Jesus brought about. There is so much love showered upon us in this that we need to respond in praise. 1Chron.29:11, Psa.9:16, 21:13, 46:10, Isa.12:4, Rev.19:1-5
Peter Cresswell

v.6 The 'vineyard' was finally 'laid waste' when the Romans burnt the city and banned the Jews from living there in the first century AD. Jesus [Matthew 21:33] used this area in Isaiah to confront the Jewish leaders with their behaviour.
Peter Forbes

As already indicated (Chapter 1) Psalm 80 is appealed to when speaking of the vineyard. Actually there are a number of echoes both from the earlier books of the Bible and in later books from this chapter.

5:1	song	Song of Solomon 1:1
5:1	well beloved	Luke 20:13 etc:
5:1	hath a vineyard	Song of Solomon 8:11 Luke 20:9 etc
5:2	He fenced therein	Matthew 21:33 etc:
5:5	Break down the wall thereof	Psalm 80:12
5:5	Trodden down	Luke 21:24
5:6	Lay it waste	Psalm 80:17
5:6	briers and thorns	Hebrews 6:8

Peter Forbes

:10 An Homer is ten times as big as an Ephah (Ezekiel 45:11). One expects a small amount of seed to produce a large harvest - the reverse that Isaiah speaks of is an indication of God's judgements as prophesied in Deuteronomy 28 / Leviticus 26.
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - Colossians 2

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v. 3,4 - Here we have the basis for authority for truth. ONLY within the words of God and his Son can we look. v.4 makes it quite plain that man's enticing and beguiling words are to be shunned, but also warns us of their existence. Let us therefore take the lesson to heart and listen only to those things which are from God, discerning the carefully. ch.3:16, 2Tim.3:15-17, Eph.3:9, Rev.2:17
Peter Cresswell

v.11 'without hand' draws on the 'stone' of Daniel [Daniel 2:34,45 8:25] and Jesus' own use of the phase. [Mark 14:58] Further the phrase 'not made with hands' is used to speak of the ecclesia [2 Corinthians 5:1 Hebrews 9:11]
Peter Forbes

Here is the list of links with Ephesians. We should consider how the needs of the two ecclesias are similar and why.

Language used in both Colossians and Ephesians
1:14	Redemption through his blood	Ephesians 1:7
1:20	made peace	Ephesians 2:15
1:22	present you ... holy	Ephesians 5:27
1:26	mystery ... hid	Ephesians 3:9
2:13	dead in sin	Ephesians 2:1
2:19	knit together	Ephesians 4:16
3:5	fornication ...	Ephesians 5:3
3:8	put off ...	Ephesians 4:22
3:10	put on ...	Ephesians 4:24
3:16	psalms ... to the Lord	Ephesians 5:19
3:18	wives submit	Ephesians 5:22
3:19	husbands love	Ephesians 5:25
3:20	children obey	Ephesians 6:1
3:21	fathers provoke	Ephesians 6:4
3:22	servants obey	Ephesians 6:5
4:1	masters	Ephesians 6:9

Peter Forbes

:12 Notice the use of Romans 6:4 'buried with him in baptism' an indication that Romans was available to the brethren at Colosse. I suggest that Romans became a manual of doctrine and practice in the first century.
Peter Forbes

Here are a few more quotations to add to Bro. Peter's list above:

Colossians		Ephesians
1:3	Thankfulness for the ecclesia	1:16
1:3	Prayers for the Brethren & Sisters	1:16
1:4	Knowledge of their faith	1:15
1:9-10	The hope of their calling in Christ	1:17-18
1:9	Prayer for the believers	1:16
1:11	Strenghened in the inner man	3:16
1:12	The hope of their inheritance	1:18
1:18	Pre-eminence of Christ	1:21
1:20	Reconciliation by God in Christ	1:6-7
1:28	Maturity	4:13

John Wilson