April 20

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Joshua 21:1-22:20
(1)(2011) - Earthly possessions mean stewardship; their allocation is meant for God's purposes...We are provided for according to His promises

43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. 45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

(2) (2011) - Reading "The Practice of Godliness" (by Jerry Bridges), I'm reminded of the basis for godliness:

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

(3) A recent sermon asked "Is your religion too spiritual?" subsequently asking (perhaps rhetorically) "Do you care about social justice? The poor?" which points beyond the Church. The entire endeavor of possessing the Promised Land was to drive out the inhabitants but, primarily, to share with their "brothers"-within the Church:

When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, 8 saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies.”

(4) (2011)The rebellion of the Reubenites, Gadites & 1/2 tribe of Manasseh:

When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: 16 “The whole assembly of the LORD says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the LORD! 18 And are you now turning away from the LORD?

“‘If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the LORD’s land, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things,[a] did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”

Matthew Henry comments:

The reason they give for their concerning themselves so warmly in this matter is very sufficient. They were obliged to it, in their own necessary defence, by the law of self-preservation: "For, if you revolt from God to-day, who knows but to-morrow his judgments may break in upon the whole congregation (v. 18), as in the case of Achan? v. 20. He sinned, and we all smarted for it, by which we should receive instruction, and from what God did then infer what he may do, and fear what he will do, if we do not witness against your sin, who are so many, and punish it." Note, The conservators of the public peace are obliged, in justice to the common safety, to use their power for the restraining and suppressing of vice and profaneness, lest, if it be connived at, the sin thereby become national, and bring God's judgments upon the community. Nay, we are all concerned to reprove our neighbour when he does amiss, lest we bear sin for him, Lev. 19:17.

(5)(2012) Pentecostals and Charismatics argue that "God still gives the gift of tongues". Why is it never argued that God keeps His promises through generation after generation?

43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers...44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. 45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

(6)(2012)When the the tribes went to their allotted inheritance they built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. This was contrary to God's instructions on worship to the nation of Israel and there was certainty that the entire nation would reap the wrath.

So what does the nation do? They send representatives; heads...

So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 With him they sent ten of the chief men, one for each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clan

Luke 20:1-26
(1)(2011) Jesus, of course, possessed a perfect wisdom by which he wouldn't always answer every diagnostic question:

1 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”

5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

(2) Power, authority & taxes. Recently heard a sermon on Palm Sunday & political power. As Henry comments, "Even good men are subject to mistakes concerning the kingdom of Christ, and to form wrong notions of it, and are ready to think that will immediately appear which is reserved for hereafter." There was some confusion of temporal vs eternal realities with spiritual & material realities; social justice & poverty before godliness & pleasing God. "The already and not yet" of God's Kingdom was missed; probably unintentionally.

Here Jesus addresses the expectations of a worldly kingdom founded by worldly methods of power and authority. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's...Jesus had already been tempted in the wilderness to change stones into bread, to perform miracles before the watching world and to bow to Satan to be made Prince of the World. Christ knew it would be his anyway but he must endure Calvary. Doesn't Palm Sunday, the zeal of the crowds one day, their condemnation a few days later, challenge our utopian delusions? The King enters the city triumphant on his way to crucifixion! What does that mean for me? I should likewise be silent before the King and marvel at his path, startled and dumb by the difference between what I expect and what he commands and how he establishes his Kingdom:

26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

Psalm 89:1-13
(1)(2011) Earth & Heaven: Temporal & Eternal Kingdoms. Speaking of the Kingdom...I love how the psalmist shows that by establishing His faithfulness in heaven itself and earth, in the older cosmologies, is surrounded by heaven and thus bears the shadow of heaven's realities:

1 I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”
Selah

5 The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?
You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13 Your arm is endued with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

Proverbs 13:15-16
(1)(2011) - These both apply directly to me:

15 Good understanding wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard.[a]

16 Every prudent man acts out of knowledge,
but a fool exposes his folly.

Years Read
2011