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May 31

Reading 1 - Joshua 17

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v.9 - Is there some significance in there being this slight overlap between the two sons of Joseph - a symbolic fellowship, as it were, between brethren? ch.16:8,9.
Peter Cresswell
v.11 - Dor = "generation", Endor, which was of the overlap area mentioned above, and also the home of the spiritualist which Saul later sought = "fountain of generation".
Peter Cresswell
v.4 The daughters of Zelophehad come to Joshua to remind him of what Moses said [Numbers 27:1-7]. Having received the promises from Moses about their inheritance they continue to pursue the promise like the individual in the parable [Luke 11:5-13] who made repeated request.
Peter Forbes
17:14 - 18 The complaint of Joseph is how we often are. We want something but are often now willing to put the effort in to achieve it. Joshua, in saying 'If thou be a great people' (17:17) places the responsibility where it really lay.
Peter Forbes
:12 That the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants is echoed in Judges 1:27-28. So the two passages are contemporary accounts of the same time.
Peter Forbes
ENCOURAGEMENT

There are times in our lives when we feel that the challenges we are faced with are too great for us. Maybe the obstacles we meet seem too big to overcome or we feel just too weak or unprepared to deal with what we are expected to do. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh felt like that. They complained to Joshua that their portion of land was too small, so Joshua told them to clear the forested hill country where the Perrizites and Rephaites lived. And then, like we so often do, Ephraim and Manessah said, "But!" There were problems that they felt were too big and the tribes felt too weak.

So Joshua encouraged them. He said to them, "You are numerous and very powerful. You will not have only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

I would like to think that Ephraim and Manessah were strengthened by this encouragement and went out and conquered the land, but we are not told what they did. However, we all need this sort of encouragement sometimes and there is always someone near us who needs it from us. So let's take Joshua's example and encourage each other so that we will all have the faith and strength to face the challenges before us.
Rob Prins

Reading 2 - Isaiah 23

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v.18 seems a complete turn around from the rest of the chapter. It is showing us that God will still care for his own, whatever circumstances they find themselves in, and will bless them. This verse seems to suggest that the rewards of their wickedness might provide food and clothing for the righteous. Or is it simply referring to the way that the merchandise of Tyre was used in the building of the Temple? 2Chron.2:11-16, Psa.45:12, 72:10
Peter Cresswell
v.1,2 - To be told to keep silence, or be still, before God is a regular feature and is designed each time to remind the reader or listener of the great salvation which God wrought when the Children of Israel passed over the Red Sea on dry land (Exo.14:13) and so escaped the slavery of Egypt - a clear symbol of the freedom in Christ which is gained by passing through the waters of baptism. Psa.46:10, Isa.41:1, 47:5, Hab.2:20
Peter Cresswell
23:1, 14 The linking of Tyre and Tarshish in this chapter shows that we should see them as related. This judgement is echoed later in Ezekiel (27-28).
Peter Forbes
'Chittim' is 'Kittim' and is on the island of Crete denoting a trading link between the island of Crete and Tyre.
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - Hebrews 3, 4 & 5

To Listen
3 v.5,6 - Moses, it is pointed out, of all of the people who went before, was the best example of looking after his house - in his case, almost certainly this meant the whole nation of Israel, rather than his immediate family. And yet even the best example from before, whilst foreshadowing the work of Christ for his family, did not rise to the same status - he was a servant, but Jesus was (and is) a son. ch.1:2, 4:14, Isa.9:6,7, John 3:35-36.
Peter Cresswell

Ch.3 - The priesthood of Jesus is the major theme of Hebrews. Consider these occasions where Jesus is spoken of as a priest. Hebrews 2:17 3:1 4:14,15 5:5,6,10 6:20 7:15,17,20,21,26 8:1,3 8:4 9:11 10:21

Ch.4 - The refusal of Israel to enter the land the first time is the basis to the discussion of the 'rest' in this chapter. The word 'rest' [4:9] differs from all the other occurrences and carries the sense 'keeping of sabbaths' which catches the Day of Atonement language which is another theme which runs through the letter to the Hebrews.

Ch. 5 - The contrast between Jesus and the Levitical high priest is wonderful. The Levitical high priest could certainly understand the needs of the offerer as he shared their nature. However because he shared their nature he could not 'save to the uttermost' [7:25]. On the other hand Jesus both understands our needs and can 'save to the uttermost' [7:25].
Peter Forbes

3:1-6 The invitation to compare Jesus with Moses is most helpful to the Jew, steeped in the law of Moses.

Whilst Moses was declared to be a 'servant' (Numbers 12:7) Jesus was a 'son' and so of a higher status than the servant in the house.

4:11 So entering 'rest' is hard work! The hard work is living the gospel in all it's aspects. Believing that God will keep His word actually is hard work for most of us most of the time.

5:4 'honour' draws attention to 2 Chronicles 26:18 where Uzziah tried to take upon himself the Melchisedec priesthood and was struck leprous for his presumption.
Peter Forbes

ch 3 - Notice the recurring use of 'if' in this chapter
3:6, 7, 14, 15
The history of Israel's reaction to God's provision is the basis for the stark reminder of the conditional aspect of God's promises.

ch 4 - And so the 'if' continues
4:3, 5, 7,
Salvation is conditional. It is conditional on our willingness to believe that God will keep His word.
Peter Forbes

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT
It is our daily duty to encourage one another in our life in Christ. The danger of being without encouragement is that we will be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. That means that we will not see sin for what it is after a while and our conscience will not hurt when we sin. It doesn't happen overnight, but day by day the things we do, we hear, we see and experience in the world around us can numb us to the purity of the truth of God. So to counteract the wearing down we get every day from the world, we need that daily encouragement to stay true to the faith we hold so dear. Of course, not only do we need to be given that encouragement ourselves, but others need us to give it to them. It must be a mutual thing that when we all encourage each other we are not just thinking of what we will get out of it, but aiming to share our encouragement.

The time to share some encouragement is Right Now! It doesn't matter what day of the week it is, as long as it is called Today. Today is the day to give our Brothers and Sisters the edge over sin. Leaving it to tomorrow may be too late and yesterday has gone. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (3 v 13).

MAKE YOUR PRAYERS HEARD
If we want to be sure that God hears our prayers then following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and the way that he prayed would be a good way to go. We know that his prayers were always heard. They were not always the answers that Jesus would have liked, but they were all heard and answered.

So what was so special about the prayers of Jesus? Hebrews 5 v 7 tells us. "During the days of Jesus life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission."

We too can pray with loud cries and tears just like Jesus did, but it was his "reverent submission" that made the difference. If we are to follow his example, we too need to develop that "reverent submission" to God that Jesus had. That means that even if the answer is not the one we want, we will still abide by the will of God and not our own. It means that we will always submit to God's ways because we know that he knows best and our understanding is so limited. From now on let's pray in power by showing reverent submission to our God and creator.
Robert Prins