Mar 13, 2022
NUMBERS 7:
Yesterday in Numbers we heard how the people
had to follow through with God’s commands, and those with defiling
diseases were expelled from their camp until such time as they
could be declared ritually clean again. And we heard about
cleansing for issues involving the conscience, and what a man might
do if he suspected his wife of unfaithfulness. (A man would be
cruel to do this to his wife if he didn't have good reasons for his
suspicions!) The 6th chapter dealt with the Nazarite vow and ended
with the famous Aaronic blessing.
In today’s chapter 7 of Numbers, the GNT has done a beautiful job of giving the complete information in a way that is clear, precise, and that reduces repetition.
PSALM 30:
Today you will enjoy Psalm 30, as it is a
wonderful song of thanks to God.
LUKE 20b:
Yesterday in the second half of chapter 19,
Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. While on the road, he wept
over Jerusalem because of the spiritual blindness of the leaders,
and he cleansed the temple of commerce.
When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he prophesied, (Luke 19:43-44 NLT) “Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
It was no more than 40 years after Jesus said that when the Roman army did just as he prophesied. But on that day when he said those things, the religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus in the temple. But they couldn’t do it because “all the people hung on every word he said.” So too, for us, let us hang on every word in our readings today.