One Year Bible Readings and Commentary for Friday, March 11th
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Instructions When Going in to the Promiseland
A big distinction is made between those who have unintentionally sinned and those who have brazenly and intentionally disobeyed the Lord. Those who unintentionally sinned could make the proper sacrifices and be forgiven, while those who sinned intentionally were to be cut off from the community.
Penalty for Breaking the Sabbath
Next, we see the punishment for a man who worked on the Sabbath. Though the Lord had specifically given very clear guidelines for the Sabbath, this man worked anyways and he paid with his life for it. This seems very harsh, but part of the purpose was to be an example to the people that disobeying the Law would not be tolerated. New Testament Christians are comfortable being forgiven for anything at anytime, but clearly the consequences for disobedience were a lot higher in the Old Testament.
Tassels on Clothing
The Israelites were told to make tassles for the hem of their clothing reminding them to obey the Lord's commands. This is not the only time in the Old Testament where people wore things to remind them of God's commands. This was a visual reminder and a constant reminder of God's presence.
And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates - Deuteronomy 6;7-9
Korah's Rebellion
Korah, along with Dotham and Abiram, incited a rebellion against Moses. They were basically challenging Moses authority as the spiritual leader of the people. Korah was a Levite and played an important role in maintaining the temple, but obviously he and others were jealous of Moses and Aaron the priest. So Moses basically said, "If you want to be holy, why don't you and those who feel the same come before the Tabernacle and bring your censers of fire before the Lord!"
When they all came before the Tabernacle, the Lord told Moses to get everyone away from the tents of Korah, Dotham and Abiram. The earth opened up and swallowed these men and their families. It was an example to others not to presume to come into God's holy presence in the tabernacle without the priests' authority. It reminds us of the motto, "Be careful what you ask for!"
Jesus' Trial Before Pilate
Pilate had a policy of releasing one Jewish prisoner during the Passover. He assumed the people would want to release the one they called, "The king of the Jews". But the Jewish leaders had already stirred up the crowd against Jesus. So instead of releasing Jesus, an innocent man, they released Barabbas, a known murderer. What irony! The convicted criminal is released, and the son of God is condemned. Not only is Jesus wrongly convicted, but when Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus they cry, "Crucify him!"
Not only did they want Jesus to be detained, but also to be crucified. The mobs chanted, "Crucify him". It is curious why that had such hatred for someone who had done nothing wrong. The other irony was the Pilate was supposed to be the ruthless one, but the Jewish leaders and people were much more.
Soldiers Mock Jesus
The soldiers made fun of Jesus by dressing him up like a king, with a purple robe and thorn branches woven together like a crown. The taunted him saying, "Hail, Jesus king of the Jews", while spitting on him and hitting him on the head. It is hard to believe Jesus the Son of God enduring this kind of treatment, but he did it all in obedience to the Father and out of love for us.
The Crucifixion
The ridiculing only intensified once Jesus was nailed to the cross. The people taunted him asking him why if he was so powerful, he couldn't get himself off the cross. Even the thieves crucified beside him made fun of him. Of course, Jesus could have called down legions of angels and taken everyone out in a heartbeat, but he knew his mission was to die on the cross for the sins of the world. If we ever think we are being wrongly treated, we may want to read this story again.
The Death of Jesus
If the people weren't going to recognize Jesus, his Father in heaven sure was going to. From noon to 3pm, the land was in darkness. Symbolic of the darkness God had allowed up to this point to crucify his only Son. The darkness represented the sin of all humankind that Jesus was dying for. The darkness represneted the hatred of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus. The darkness represented the Israelites, who despite seeing all of Jesus' miracles and signs still refused to believe. The darkness represented Jesus' disciples, who abandoned him.
Jesus also felt the darkness as he uttered the words in Aramaic, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me." Though the physical pain and emotional abuse was certainly overwhelming for Jesus, the fact that his Father had to turn his back on him was the worst part for Jesus.
Ironically it was a Roman soldier who saw how Jesus, an innocent man, handled all of this who exclaimed, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Though the disicples were nowhere to be found, several women had gathered near the scene, including Mary Magdalene, Mary Joseph's mother, and many other women who Jesus had ministered to.
The Burial of Jesus
Unlike the other Jewish leaders, Joseph of Arimathea was a believer in Jesus and asked Pilate at great personal risk to give Jesus a proper burial. After Pilate confirmed Jesus was truly dead, he gave Joseph permission to bury Jesus. Joseph wrapped Jesus in linen cloths and laid him in a cave that had been carved out of the rock. Joseph bought the tomb at great personal expense. Both Mary's saw where they laid him.
Tombs such as this were very expensive, and it was quite a sacrifice for Joseph of Arimathea to give his up. But Jesus needed the tomb for only a few days. Guzik
"What Now" Study Questions:
Take time to soak in the events of the crucifixion; feel the hammers, see the blood, smell the stench and hear the cries. Meditate on His sacrifice and thank Him for His gift!
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