One Year Bible Readings and Commentary for Thursday, March 24th
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We always say that God "keeps his promises". If He didn't, would He be the kind of God we would want to believe in. We see today God instructed Moses to enter the Promised Land, where there were certain lands that were off limit. For instance, the land of the Edomites was off limits. Edom was a nickname for "Esau" (which meant "red" because Esau had red hair). 400 years later God told the Israelites not to touch the land of the Edomites, because he had promised it to them.
The Moabites were also distant relatives of the Israelites through Lot, a friend of Noah's. God also did not allow the Israelites to take the land of the Ammonites.
Israel was not just some conquering army, out to get whatever land it could take. It probably was strong enough to simply take the land of Edom, but Israel only received what God had promised to them.
Next we see successive victories over King Sihon of Heshbon, also called the Amorites, and King Og of Bashan. King Sihon would not let them pass through their land because God had hardened his heart. The Israelites simply asked for safe passage, but the king's refusal led to war. God's judgment was not just upon the king, but the whole people. 38 years later after not believing the Lord for the fear of the giants, these Israelites took possession of the land by faith, something their forefathers did not have.
The repeated references to the rephaim in these first three chapters shows that Israel, when trusting in God, was well able to defeat this race of fearsome warriors. It also shows that their fear of these men back in Numbers 13, where they first refused to go into the Promised Land, was unfounded. Their excuses are shown to be weaker in light of the next generation’s victories.
Today Jesus chose his twelve apostles. The word "apostle" means "messenger", or "the one who has been sent". Jesus would send to the apostles out into the world to bring the Good News in word and deed. Importantly Jesus went up on a mountain to pray before he made this all important decision. He spent "all night" in prayer. Do you spend this kind of time in prayer before you make a big decision> If Jesus did how much more do we need to!
Then, Jesus preaches what commentators have called "the Sermon on the Plain", as compared with Matthew's "Sermon on the Mount". Many of the concepts taught in Luke's version are very similar to Matthew's, except for some minor details.
The recorded teaching in Matthew 5-7 is similar in many ways to the passage in Luke, but there are also differences. Mainly, the Luke account is much shorter. Many wonder if these are two separate occasions of teaching, or the same occasion. Scholarly opinion is divided on this issue. But we should remember that Jesus was an itinerant preacher, whose main emphasis was the Kingdom of God (see Luke 4:43). Itinerant preachers often repeat themselves to different crowds, especially when teaching upon the same topic. This is probably the same sermon as Matthew 5-7, but possibly at a different time and a different place. - Guzik
The teachings in both accounts are summaries of Jesus' ethical standards. Some have called them the finest compilation of moral/ethical teaching of all time. The standards Jesus lifts up like loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you, and offering the other cheek when someone slaps you are very hard to live up to. But life in the kingdom, as Jesus has described it, can only be accomplished with the power of God working in and through us.
We all fall short of these standards, as Paul reminds us that we have, "all sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:22). But as we realize our sinfulness and turn to Jesus for grace and salvation, his Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit begins the process of sanctification when we are a born again and continues to shape and mold our character until we begin to do the things Jesus would do if he were us!
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