Apr 8, 2022
DEUTERONOMY 11-12:
In
yesterday's reading, Moses continued to hammer on the people not to
think that they have been favored by God because they are such good
people. Moses gave his first-hand account of being in God's
presence for 40 days and 40 nights on two occasions, one right
after the other. He also again models in his prayer for Israel the
way to effectively pray for people— which is to base our prayers on
God's character and his promises.
PSALM 55:
This
poem was written out of the discouragement caused by betrayal. It
includes the figure of speech called apostrophe. That is where the
writer, David, speaks to his enemy as if he were present. The same
part which includes that figure of speech is often quoted as it
shows us how Jesus must have felt about Judas’ betrayal.
ACTS 10b:
Yesterday we heard of the wonderful way the
Lord called Peter to go to Cornelius' house. In preparation, God
gave Peter a vision (repeated three times to leave no doubt
whatsoever) to the effect that God was now opening the door to the
Gentiles to be cleansed and included as God's people.
GNT Translation notes:
Deut. 11:9 And you will live a
long time in the rich and fertile land that the Lord promised to
give [to] your ancestors and their descendants.
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Ps.
55:23 But [to You I pray//you], O God, will bring those murderers
and liars to their graves before half their life is over. As for
me, I will trust in you.
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32
Send someone to Joppa for a man [named Simon who is also called
Peter//whose full name is Simon Peter]. He is a guest in the home
of Simon the tanner of leather, who lives by the sea.’
37
You know of the great event[s] that took place throughout the land
of Israel, beginning in Galilee after John preached his message of
baptism.
42
And he commanded us to preach [this Good News//the gospel] to the
people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed
judge of the living and the dead.
[It
seems inconsistent to use ‘Good News’ in verse 36, and then to
switch to ‘gospel’ here.]
43
All the prophets spoke about him, saying that [through his
authority] all who believe in him will have their sins forgiven
[0//through the power of his name].”
[The
Greek does not have the word ‘power’, and this phrase comes before
the verb ‘all who believe in Him’ in the Greek text. I have
translated ‘name’ as a metonymy for ‘name’.]