I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
     The Old Testament reading continues with Joshua and the leaders of the tribes of Israel giving towns from among the lands of each of the other tribes to the Levites. This is followed by Joshua sending the tribes whose land was east of the Jordan home (Moses had granted lands east of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the condition that they send their fighting men over the Jordan with the rest of Israel). Joshua sent them home with a large quantity of plunder from the conquest of Canaan and with instructions to share that wealth with those who had remained east of the Jordan protecting the families of those who went to fight. As they crossed the Jordan, these tribes built a large and imposing altar. The rest of the tribes of Israel were concerned because they were afraid that the tribes from the east of the Jordan were going to set up their own, separate worship system outside of that prescribed by God in the Law.
     The New Testament reading is about Jesus’ teaching in the Temple during the week between the Triumphal Entry and his arrest. The Jewish leaders begin a series of challenges to Jesus to get Him to say something to either offend the people or cause the Romans to arrest Him for fomenting insurrection. The first challenge is to ask Him by what authority He does what He does. Jesus’ response reminds me of something someone said about what to do when someone asks you for proof that God exists. When someone asks for proof (or evidence) that God exists, you need to ask them what they would accept as proof before you attempt to offer them any. In this passage, Jesus asks them whether John baptized by God’s authority or merely that of a human. They were unwilling to answer the question because to say that John’s baptism was merely human would have revealed to the crowds that they did not share the crowd’s beliefs, but to say that it was from God would have opened them up to charges of knowingly rejecting teachings from God. In particular, John had taught against the very practices that Jesus had so recently forcibly acted against when He drove the merchants out of the Temple.
     Jesus follows this up by telling the parable of the evil tenant farmers who refuse to pay their rent and kill the owner’s son when he is sent to collect. The Jewish leaders knew that this story was directed against them and it strengthened their resolve to kill Jesus, but they were still afraid of the people. This passage reminds us that there are times when we must call out those who are sinning (especially when they are doing it in the name of the Lord).
     The final part of this section of today’s passage is where the Jewish leaders challenge Jesus on paying taxes to the Romans. They sent men who “pretended to be honest men”. This is a complicated issue because paying the Roman taxes was unpopular and there was a strong teaching that doing so was against the Law. The Roman tax in question had to be paid in a particular coin that had been minted by the current Emperor (not by the Roman government at the Emperor’s instruction, but by the Emperor from his private estates). This was not a coin that was used widely in Palestine at that time, the average person would be unlikely to be carrying one of these coins. More importantly, it was minted with the image of the Emperor as a god. When Jesus’ questioners produced one of these coins, they revealed who they were and their real agenda. Additionally, when Jesus asked them whose picture was on it, He used the same word as in the Commandment against graven images thus pointing out that having one of these coins was tantamount to idolatry. Jesus’ answer is twofold. The first part of the answer is to say that if you are carrying Caesar’s coins (and these were Caesar’s coins, not Rome’s) then you should return them to him when he asks for them. The second part is that even having these coins is a violation of the Commandments. In this manner Jesus both supported the popular feeling about Roman taxes (that they were wrong), while saying nothing that the Jewish leaders could take to the Roman authorities to use against Him. This passage is not really about the issue of taxes, it has more to do with being fully committed to worshiping God and not having divided loyalties. The issue of taxation is addressed elsewhere by Paul.
     The Psalm is a psalm of praise. “I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever.” This morning this Psalm just fills me with joy at the thought of all that the Lord has done for me. He is mighty and powerful and all works according to His plans. We have a choice in this life, we can willingly order our lives to fulfill the will of God, we can have our lives ordered by God to fulfill His will. In either case, the will of God will be followed.
     There are two proverbs in today’s reading. In many ways they go together. The first says that a person of good sense will be respected. The second says that a wise person thinks before they act. The second tells us what defines a person of good sense and how people recognize them. A person of good sense thinks before they act. Both proverbs have a second part. The first one tells us that a treacherous person is headed for destruction. Look around you and think how often those who betray the trust put in them end up suffering for it. It sometimes takes time, but I cannot think of any exceptions. It often happens when those they put their trust in betray them. The second proverb tells us that not only do fools not think before they act, but they often brag about it.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
     Today’s reading continues on with the dividing of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. Once the land was divided, Joshua designated the Cities of Refuge where someone who had accidentally killed another could go to be safe from a revenge killing. If someone killed another unintentionally they could go to one of these cities and present their case before the city elders. If the elders accepted their claim that it was unintentional, the killer could stay in that city and be protected from those who wished to avenge the death. The killer would need to be subject to the judgement of the assembly of that city and remain there until after the death of the high priest at the time of the death. This strikes me as an eminently just arrangement. The person who caused the death of another pays a penalty for that action of, at the very least, having to relocate to one of the cities of refuge. Additionally, the assembly of that city could impose further penalties (short of death) if, when they judged the case, they felt that the killer was unduly negligent in their actions leading up to the death.

     The New Testament reading for today is Luke’s account of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and the clearing of the Temple. I have previously blogged on the this passage about the Triumphal Entry here. My new thoughts on this passage as I read it today are about what an experience it must have been to be part of that crowd that day. Can we even wrap our heads around what it must have been like? The closest thing to that that I can think of having seen is the parade in Philadelphia after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. Yet there is something different as well. I was not at that parade, but I have experienced the euphoria of cheering on a winning sports team. I have, also, experienced euphoric worship events. The latter have something that goes beyond what one experiences with a sports win. I can almost imagine how the “championship parade” atmosphere combined with euphoric worship would feel. What would it take for us to experience that in this country today?
     After this, Jesus went into the Temple and drove out those who were selling animals for use as sacrifices. It is not spelled out in the passage, but knowing human nature, I think we can draw some conclusions. These animals were almost certainly being sold for much more than what you could buy them for in the general market. Additionally, the priests probably got a cut for “certifying” that the animals were acceptable sacrifices. Finally, there were probably some kinds of obstacles to bringing animals purchased elsewhere to offer as sacrifices. All of this colors our understanding of why the leaders were trying to find a way to kill Jesus. It, also, tells us something about why they found it so difficult to find a way to do so. The people would have seen how the religious leaders were behaving in a corrupt and abusive manner that belied their claims of righteousness. The leaders wanted to find a way to get rid of Jesus that did not further undermine their claims to being the arbiters of righteous behavior.

     Our Psalm today is a cry to the Lord from someone who feels completely broken. It is an example of how, no matter how much life has gone wrong for us, we should still trust in God for our deliverance. The Psalmist here expresses the feeling that their entire life has been nothing but trouble and sadness. Yet, he still cries out to the Lord for deliverance. He still expresses a willingness to declare the wonders of the Lord. This is an example we must follow.

     We have three Proverbs today. The first refers to how when something you hoped for is put off beyond when you expected to receive it, it can deflate your spirit and leave you listless and despondent. This is over against how receiving something desired can energize you and make you work harder towards your goals. The second proverb is about the importance of accepting advice and listening to those who have authority. The third proverb follows on the second and points out that we should strive to learn from those who possess wisdom.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
     The first part of today’s reading is from the book of Joshua where Joshua is dividing the land of Canaan up among the tribes. One of the first things I note is the recurring theme that the Israelites failed to drive the Canaanites out of the land. God had commanded them to drive all of the Canaanites out of the promised land and had promised to do so for them. The Bible does not really tell us why God did not fully drive the Canaanites out of the land for the Israelites. However the fact that as the Israelites became strong instead of driving the Canaanites out from among them, they enslaved them, may have something to with this. This failure to drive the Canaanites out is the seed of many of Israel’s later problems.
     The next part of the reading is the story of Zacchaeus and the parable of the talents from Luke 19. I have known Christians who do not associate with non-Christians. I often wonder how they expect to fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples of all the earth if they never spend any time with those who are not already followers of Jesus. I understand that some new Christians need to avoid associating with those who would tempt them to fall back into their sinful lifestyle. But I have known long time Christians who avoid any socialization with non-Christians and who question the righteousness of those who do otherwise. As we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus spent a lot of time socializing with those considered sinners in His day. This story is yet another example of this. Zacchaeus was anxious to see this man that all the area was talking about. Jesus told Zacchaeus that He must come to Zacchaeus’ house that day. He did not say this because Zacchaeus was a righteous man, but because Zacchaeus was a sinner. The crowd was displeased with Jesus’ choice of hosts. They thought He should choose a more “appropriate” person to be His host. Zacchaeus responded to Jesus’ outreach to him by promising to change his life around. In the Torah, the law called for fourfold restitution for theft. Zacchaeus promised to not only restore fourfold to those whom he had defrauded, but to give one half of his wealth to the poor. Jesus told the crowd that He came to seek and save the lost. How can we as Christians claim to be imitating Christ if we do not also seek the lost (and hopefully, through the Spirit’s intervention, save them)?
     The second part of today’s passage from Luke is one that troubles me. It is quite clear. Those who are given gifts from God (whether talents, or money, or other benefits) are expected to make good use of those gifts. I have been given quite a bit in my life both in talents and material goods, yet I have failed to make good use of those gifts for the glory of God. I have long struggled with knowing what God wants me to do, but I know that I must work at being more active in serving Him, even if I do not know what path He wishes me to follow. I have heard it said that it is easier to guide something that is in motion to the correct course than something that is stationary. I must make a stronger effort to put myself in motion, even if it is in the wrong direction, so that God may more readily guide my path.
     Next we have a Psalm about Jerusalem. It is one of several interesting (and perhaps troubling) Bible passages about the importance of Jerusalem as the City of God in light of the current state of affairs in that part of the world.
     The final element of today’s reading is a Proverb. I read several translations of this to get a clear idea of it. I think it is something that is important to remember. The way to wealth is to gather wealth over time, not to attempt to get it quickly or through fraud. When one looks at the lives of many retired athletes, or those who have won the lottery, one sees the truth of this Proverb.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here for today. I just discovered that I used the May 17 reading for this study. I may change this to May 17 when that comes, or I may rewrite this completely on that day.
     David has put together a fairly large force (600 men) and is operating in the wilderness and hill country near Ziph. Jonathan (the son and heir to King Saul) comes to David and affirms their friendship. Jonathan, also, expresses the intent to be second to David when David becomes king, even though Jonathan is the heir to the throne. Shortly after this some of the locals go to King Saul and tell him that David is hiding near them and offer to help King Saul capture him. King Saul leads a force to work with the locals to capture David. David moves into ever more remote areas and Saul follows. However, before Saul can corner David, he receives word that the Philistines are raiding elsewhere. Saul returns from pursuing David in order to drive off the Philistine raiders.
     The Bible does not really tell us what David is doing during this time, besides hiding from Saul, but he must have been doing something active in order to attract an ever growing following of men. We see in this passage that David and Jonathan have maintained their close friendship despite the hostility that Jonathan’s father held towards David. Further we see how God protected David. God did not keep David completely from harm. David needed to flee from Saul, but when David reached the end of his ability to avoid Saul, God caused the Philistines to start raiding Israel forcing Saul to give up on pursuing David. The Psalm in this study is David praising God for rescuing him from Saul in this situation.
     I see here in this passage that God will care for us and rescue us from our enemies (whether human or just circumstances) as long as we remain faithful to Him. It is important to remember that even when our success seems to be a result of our own actions, it is still a gift from God.
     In the second section of Samuel in today’s reading we see how we should interact with those God puts in authority over us, even when they go against God’s will. God delivers Saul into David’s hand. David has an opportunity to kill Saul and end the threat to his life. David chooses not to and even feels regret that he cut the corner from Saul’s robe. I see in this passage that even when those government officials that God has put over us act in ways that are evil, we should treat them with respect as those appointed by God. I have a lot of trouble with being faithful to this. In the passage, Saul recognizes the he is the one who is acting against God’s will and asks David to promise not to carry out a vendetta against Saul’s family when David becomes king.
     In the final portion of today’s passage we get some idea of what David was doing. David and his men provided protection from bandits to those who tended flocks out in the wilderness areas of Judah. When David sent some men to Nabal to request some recompense out of his plenty, Nabal responds with contempt. Nabal did not just say “no”, he called David an outlaw and a nobody. Nabal’s response was not that he would not give David’s men anything because he had not asked them for the service they did for his men. His response was that David was of no consequence and had done nothing of value. When Nabal’s wife learns of his foolishness, she rushes to make up for his churlishness before it can explode in his face and destroy both him and her. When Abigail approached David, she did so from a position of humility recognizing that David had been wronged by her husband. She recognized the danger that she and her husband and their household were in as a result of her husband’s actions and took steps to mitigate the danger. When shortly after this Nabal dies, David offers to take Abigail as his wife. This is not just David taking the opportunity to get a good wife, this is David paying Abigail back for what she had done. With the death of Nabal, in that society Abigail would have been subject to the predations of other powerful men. By marrying her David is extending his protection to her and her household.
     Nabal fails to show generosity to those who have done him a service and, according to the passage, pays a steep price for it (his life). It is only through the intervention of his wife, Abigail, that the men of Nabal’s household are spared from suffering the same fate at the hand of David and his men. I take from this that it is important that we be generous to those who have done us service to the extent that our resources allow (not all of us have the wealth that Nabal had). Also, we should act with humility to defuse the anger in a situation that results when those around us are arrogant and insulting to others. Finally, we do not need to gain vengeance on those who insult and degrade us, God will punish those who are deserving of such punishment in His time and according to His will.