Month: May 2018

Joshua 10-13 records Israel’s defeat of most of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Many of the people joined in battle against Israel, but to no avail. God stood with Israel. In one battle He cast hail down on the enemy. He also made the sun and moon stand still to give them more daylight to fight. Everywhere, we read of Israel destroying the people of the land and “devoting them to destruction.” The phrase sounds so “unfair,” and even “wrong,” but we must remember God used the Israelites to bring judgment on the people of the land, because their sin had become full. One day each of us will be judged for our sin, and only if we have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, will we be spared from that judgment. God is not unjust, because all of us have sinned and fall far short of His glory. In Israel’s judgment against the people of the land, God’s justice was shown.

Toward the end of today’s reading, we’re told Joshua was old and his life was coming to an end. God warned that much land was yet to be taken, and pockets of resistance remained. These would prove to be harmful to Israel in the period of the judges, and even when the monarchy was established in Israel. For the moment, God started the distribution of the land to the various tribes, and the conquest of the land was coming to a lull. In our lives, we must not stop our battle against sin after we have trusted Jesus for salvation. His Holy Spirit leads us and strengthens us so we will have victory. It remains for us to live into that victory daily, because the pockets of resistance remain in us as well. The Apostle Paul called it “the flesh,” or “the sinful nature.” Vigilance brings victory, but a lack of focus can set us back.

As we return to John 8, let’s remember how important it was for Jesus to stand in the gap for the woman caught in the act of adultery. While the religious leaders used her as a pawn in their attempt to trap Jesus with being too lenient, or too judgmental, Jesus saw a woman not an adulteress. Many years ago, I heard a pastor say, “Jesus spent time with prostitutes.”

A person in the audience interrupted and said, “Jesus never saw a prostitute.”

The pastor persisted, “Jesus spent time with prostitutes regularly. He…”

Again the young man in the audience interrupted, “You’re not listening. Jesus never saw a prostitute.”

Again the pastor continued, “Young man, I’ve studied the Bible for longer than you’re alive, and Jesus most certainly spent time with prostitutes.”

The young man said, “I have no doubt you’ve studied the Bible longer and more than I have sir, but you’re wrong. Jesus never saw a prostitute.”

Finally, the pastor understood, “Oh, I see what you’re saying. You’re absolutely right. Jesus never saw a prostitute. He saw a woman created in God’s image.”

“Yes!” the young man affirmed.

We must see what Jesus sees when we look at others. They may have committed many sins, as each of us have done. They may be labeled by society as a particular type of sinner, and perhaps we have labeled them as well. Perhaps you have labeled yourself, but let’s remember when Jesus sees each of us, He sees who God created us to be, and wants to call that out in each of us. Let’s let Him do that more and more with each passing moment!

Joshua 7 shows us the consequence of disobedience in the clearest terms. God had promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. He had pronounced that reality over and over again through Moses. Yet, Achan decided to disobey God’s command not to keep any of the spoils from the battle of Jericho. As a result the Israelites lost their first battle against Ai. Thirty-six of their soldiers died. When Joshua heard about it, his response was reasonable: He fell on his face before the LORD, thinking they needed the LORD’s help to win the fight. But the LORD said, “Get up!” In other words, “Joshua, I’m not the one responsible for this situation. The people are. They have sinned, and I have responded to it.” God always responds to sin.  The response to Achan’s sin was clear, immediate, and severe.  God cannot be in the presence of sin. That’s why Jesus came, but that’s getting way ahead of the story. In the case of Achan, the consequence of the sin was thirty-six dead soldiers, a defeat at the hands of a people who God had given over to the Israelites, and Achan and his family were destroyed. The lesson is clear: trust God and obey Him.

Joshua 8 shows us the difference between obedience and disobedience. After Achan’s sin had been exposed and judged, God sent the Israelites against Ai again. This time the result was the utter destruction of Ai. Afterwards, Joshua set up an altar and read the Law of the LORD. Joshua wanted to make certain the people saw the cause and effect relationship between obedience and blessing, and disobedience and cursing. That relationship stands throughout history, but sometimes the results of our obedience or disobedience aren’t as immediately obvious as in this situation.

Joshua 9 shows us the lengths to which people will go to save their lives. The people of Gibeon heard about the exploits of the Israelites and carried out an elaborate ruse to save themselves. They wore old clothes and packed spoiled food and “travelled” to the Israelites. They told the Israelites they were from a distant country and wanted to make a treaty with them. Without consulting the Lord, the leaders of Israel entered into an agreement to spare the Gibeonites. When they found out the Gibeonites had deceived them, they agreed not to kill them, because of their oath, but condemned them to be woodcutters for Israel. What do we learn from this account? Proverbs 5:6 comes to mind: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.  We find it so easy to rely on our own understanding. From all outward appearances the Gibeonites were from a distant land, but had the Israelites consulted the LORD, He would have revealed the deceitful plan to them. The lesson for us is to turn to God first, not after we have relied on our own understanding.

As we return to John 7, let’s look at one, specific verse John 7:18: ¹⁸The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. The principle Jesus offered here remains valid and helpful for us 2,000 years later. When a person champions his or her own standing, situation, glory, or honor we rightly suspect the motivation. If anyone ever had the right to push His own agenda and His own glory it was Jesus. After all, He is the God of the universe! Yet, Jesus didn’t come to put Himself in the limelight or to be served. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for us. Every time I reflect on that truth I am amazed. I ask, “Why?  Why would the God of the universe put Himself in the position of dying for you and me?” We know He had to do it to satisfy God’s justice, and to quiet God’s righteous wrath. But, still, God could have wiped us out and started over. Instead, He put Himself on the cross, paid the penalty for our sins, rose again to show us His ability to follow through on His promises to us, returned to heaven and and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live victoriously until He returns. Wow! As so many worship songs have put it over the years, “What a Savior!”

In Joshua 4 and into the beginning of Joshua 5, we read of God’s command for the people of Israel to take twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes, from the middle of the Jordan River and to establish a memorial on the Promised Land side of the Jordan. It would remind the Israelites of God’s faithfulness and power in their coming to the land via a flooded river, which God stopped from flowing.  They were also to put twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, which no one would see again, as an additional reminder. This great crossing of the Jordan put Joshua in the category of being revered as much as the people had revered Moses. We’re told at the beginning of chapter 5, the Kings of the Amorites and all the Canaanite kings heard of the Israelites crossing of the Jordan with the LORD’s help and they “lost heart and were paralyzed with fear.” Through the remainder of chapter five, Joshua had the Israelites reestablish Covenant ceremonies, including circumcision, because they hadn’t followed these commands while they were in the wilderness.

As chapter 5 closes, the Angel of the Lord confronted Joshua. When Joshua asked, “Are you friend or foe?” The Angel responded, “Neither one.” When he told Joshua who he was, Joshua fell on his face in reverence and promised to do whatever he commanded. The angel told Joshua to remove his sandals, because the ground where he stood was holy. This reminds us of God’s call to Moses in Exodus 3-4, when God told Moses to remove his sandals as he stood in the presence of the burning bush.

Chapter 6 records the Israelites’ defeat of Jericho. To say the “battle” was unorthodox is an understatement. Rather then send the Israelite troops into battle immediately, the LORD told him to gather the people and march around the city daily for seven days. Most of us have read about this unusual plan, or if we were every in children’s ministry when we were small have acted it out. The result of the Israelites marching around the city and blowing trumpets was on the seventh day the walls fell, and God delivered the people of Jericho into the Israelites hands. The Israelites honored their commitment to save Rahab and her family, and then they burned the town and everything in it. The only thing they kept were items made of silver, gold, bronze, and iron. They were kept to be placed in the Lord’s treasury.  All looked to be well, but as we’ll see tomorrow when we read chapters 7-9 the Israelites never remained wholly faithful to God for long.

As we return to John 6, the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000, I’m reminded of how difficult it was for the people to accept Jesus’ claim to be the “Bread of Life,” and to follow Him fully. I wasn’t there, and I imagine if someone told me I needed to “eat his flesh and drink his blood” (John 6:53) in order to have eternal life, I would have struggled with the idea. But the evidence of Jesus’ power was clear. He had fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children with a few loaves of bread and fish. Who but God could do that? The majority of the crowd left Jesus at that point. The majority of Jesus “disciples” left Him at that point. Only the twelve remained with Him. We have the benefit of being able to look back over 2,000 years, of knowing Jesus died and rose again, of knowing Jesus wasn’t speaking literally about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. What would we have done were we there? Thankfully, we will never have to find out, because we live on the resurrection side of Easter. We have the assurance Jesus is the Son of God, the Bread of Life, and the source of salvation for all who believe in Him!

As we turn to the Book of Joshua, the theme of the first chapter is courage. Joshua finds himself in the unenviable position of taking over the leadership of the Israelites from Moses. Moses had held the position for forty years. Time and again, Moses found himself taking the brunt of the people’s rebellion against God, and occasionally pleading for God to show mercy to his rebellious followers. Moses had suffered with his people through a forty-year wilderness journey, when the trip ought to have taken six weeks at most. Their disobedience had cause God to sentence every adult who was 20 and older at the time of their rejecting His offer to go into the Promised Land, to die in the wilderness. Now, Moses has died and Joshua takes over the reigns. On the positive side of the ledger,  Joshua has served as Moses’ right-hand man for decades. He has also inherited Moses’ mantel from God. God now speaks directly with Joshua as He had with Moses.

In Joshua 1, God promises Joshua He will be with him, as He was with Moses. He charges Joshua to be courageous, to read and keep the Law, and to know God will give him and the Israelites every bit of land where they walk. Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful and to obedient to the LORD.  The response they give would not have encouraged to me: ¹⁶And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:16-18 (ESV) The oath is in the strongest form: Whoever rebels agains you…shall be put to death.  That sounds like a great pledge of obedience to Joshua.  The part that would have scared me is they promised: “…Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you.” We have read of all the ways the Israelites disobeyed Moses. As we will see in the pages of Joshua, the Israelites also disobey Joshua at key points in their taking of the Promised Land.

The Israelites did start with a short burst of obedience as we see in Joshua 2 and 3.  In chapter 2, Joshua sent two spies into the land to scout out Jericho, which would be one of the first walled cities the Israelites would need to battle and overcome. The spies found the people were frightened of the Israelites and had heard of God’s deliverance through mighty works of power. The spies would have been caught except Rahab, a prostitute, gave them shelter in exchange for the promise of being spared, along with her family, when the Israelites eventually overtook the city. The spies agreed. In chapter 3, the Israelites march across the Jordan River. Just as God had provided safe passage through the Red Sea when the Israelites escaped from Egypt, so He gave them safe passage through the Jordan River. I have always found it significant that the waters of the Jordan didn’t part until the priests stepped into the water with the Ark of the Covenant. The river was at flood stage, so to obey God the priests had to step into a raging river. As soon as they did so, the waters stopped flowing, and the Israelites were able to pass on dry ground.

As we return to John 5, let’s remember the question Jesus asked the man who was lying beside the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?” While the answer seemed obvious, after all the man had been paralyzed for decades, the question begs an answer. The man made an excuse, but Jesus provided the healing anyway. In our lives, we often come to points where God wants to work in our lives, but we get in our own way. One specific example in my life is the many times I have lacked the discipline to eat healthy and exercise effectively.  You might think, “That is nothing like being paralyzed.” In degree, that’s true, but in principle it is the same: The man had the means to be healed standing in front of him, and he offered Jesus an excuse.  I have had the means to be healthier, and more effective as Jesus’ follower in front of me over and over again, and have said, “Yes,” for periods of time, and then I make excuses. Or I have simply started with an excuse.  Let’s not follow the paralytic’s example and make excuses when Jesus asks us if we want to be well. Let’s say, “Yes!” and then let Him work His healing power in our lives, whether the healing we need is physical, emotional or spiritual!

Chapter 33 records Moses’ blessing for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Much as Jacob had blessed his sons before he died (which we read at the end of Genesis), Moses blessed each of the twelve tribes before he died (which we are reading at the end of Deuteronomy). As we read through the blessings we see Moses didn’t offer the same blessing for each of the tribes, and as we might expect his longest blessing was offered to the tribe of his own origin: Levi. Throughout the Bible we find blessings are never “equal.” Often the firstborn are not given as great a blessing as the second-born. Jesus treated three of His disciples to greater opportunity than the other nine. We find out God isn’t “fair” in His distribution of gifts, blessing, land, and other aspects of life. How is this possible? It’s possible, because God makes the rules, and the only place we find “all men” are created equal is in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. I put “all men” in quotes, because when the document was written, women weren’t equal, and only men who were white property owners were part of the “all” who were created equal.  Even they weren’t created equal, as each was endowed by God with different natural aptitudes and skills, and each who belonged to Jesus Christ was given different spiritual gifts by God as well.

My purpose is not to denigrate our founding fathers, nor to say I think God is wrong not to treat us the same.  My purpose is to show us that equality is a great standard to follow in living out our roles as citizens of the United States of America, and that equality is for all people.  When it comes to how we treat each other as Jesus’ followers, we are to treat each other with love and respect. But we can’t treat each other the same or equally, nor is there any place in the Bible that tells us we ought to do that.  As Moses offered varying blessings to each of Israel’s tribes, we will live with differing relationships toward all the people in our spheres of influence. We will be closer to some than others. We will show preference to some over others. So long as we do that in love and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that is good.

Deuteronomy 34 records the final acts and the death of Moses. Some seeking to criticize the idea Moses authored the first five books of the Bible, have asked, “Did he write Deuteronomy 34, too?  Of course not! He could have written a portion of it, but Joshua or someone else would have written the account of his death, that no one knew exactly where he was buried and these comments:  “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew fact to face. The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.” Indeed, Moses was an incredible servant of the Lord, yet, because of a couple acts of disobedience, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land.  Was that fair? As the first couple paragraphs remind us, fairness is not God’s first standard. God’s decisions are beyond our standards of fairness. He decided Moses would not enter the Promised Land, so Moses didn’t.  He did many amazing things in his life, and is remember as a prophet like no other.

As we reread John 4, let’s turn to the end of the chapter, where we read about the “official” in Cana who asked Jesus to heal his son. Jesus’ response doesn’t seem “fair.” (Because we’re on that topic today!) Jesus’ response when the man asked for Him to heal his son was, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” Jesus didn’t ask what the son’s problem was. He didn’t seem to show compassion. He cut right to the point: Only signs and wonders bring faith to you people. The father didn’t care about Jesus’ bluntness. His son was dying. That’s what he point in front of Jesus. If Jesus didn’t come down to the man’s house, his son was going to die. Jesus took the opportunity to show He didn’t need to be present physically  to performa a miracle. He dismissed the man by saying, “Go. Your son will live.” The man went home, and found out his son was fine. When he asked when the son got better, the man realized it was the exact moment Jesus had said, “Go. Your son will live.” The man became a believer that instant, as did his household.

Interesting: Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe,” and then He performed a sign, and a whole family believed. Jesus hadn’t told the man about the demand for signs, because He wasn’t going to perform one.  Jesus knew human nature. He still does.  When He does signs and wonders these days, often through His followers, some believe and others don’t. It was the same in Jesus’ day. Some who saw the amazing signs Jesus performed, decided to go out and determine how to kill Him.  Others, such as this official, saw a sign and believed. Our task is to be faithful to Jesus, whether we see signs or not, whether He uses us to perform signs or not. It’s easier for some when they see signs, but even then some continue in disbelief.  That’s why following Jesus requires belief or faith, and it was so even for those who saw Him perform signs and wonders in person!

In Deuteronomy 30, God anticipates a day when the Israelites will turn from Him. He tells them even then if they will return to Him, if they will choose life and good over death and evil, He will restore them. Consistently through the pages of the Pentateuch, we find God giving choices to individuals and to the nation of Israel as a whole. The choices are always simple–not always easy, but always simple:  choose life and good over death and evil. The reason the choices are not easy, even though life and good, are simple choices over death and evil, is death and evil often come wrapped up as if they were life and good, or at least as fun and enjoyment. I’ve always said if sin felt like a root canal, no one would sin. But sin often feels good in the moment. The Israelite nation and individual Israelites found this to be true throughout their history, as do we as we attempt to follow Jesus in the 21st century. The lesson we learn in Deuteronomy 30 is God is gracious and forgiving, so when we discover our bad choices and repent from them, God is there to take us back!

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses tells the people he is about to die, and God is replacing him with Joshua. This is made known to all the people, and Moses tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. (We will read these words again at the beginning of the Book of Joshua. The qualifications Joshua needed as Israel’s new leader were strength and courage.) In the remainder of the chapter, we read of God telling Moses the people will turn against Him and go “whoring” after other nations. God uses the image of sexual immorality and unfaithfulness for Israel’s breaking of faithfulness with Him. That tells us how intimately God thinks of His relationship with us. God tells Moses the words He was writing in this account would be a testimony against them. Once again, we are reminded how often words from the Old Testament hold truth for us. As we read these words, and all the words of the Bible, we are reminded how often we have been unfaithful to God. Indeed, we’re reminded throughout the Bible there is no one righteous not even one. Thankfully, the Bible also proclaims God’s grace and forgiveness from cover to cover. Without that truth, we all stand condemned and separated from God, but we have that truth and thus can always move forward in hope.

Deuteronomy 32 is known as “The Song of Moses.” It is a poignant combination of recalling God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel, and their unfaithfulness to Him in the past as well as their coming unfaithfulness in the future. When the song is complete, God gives Moses the opportunity to climb a mountain and see the Promised Land, but that is as close as Moses gets. His time to die has come, and he is reminded one more time, his unfaithfulness at Mariah was the reason he didn’t get to step foot into the Promised Land.  After all Moses endured with the people of Israel, after all the times he interceded for them before God, it can seem a bit unfair that he didn’t get to go into the Promised Land. That’s because we would be comparing Moses’ faithfulness to the people of Israel. By that comparison Moses was “holy.” But God compared Moses’ faithfulness to Himself, and by that standard, no one is righteous. God is always just in whatever judgment He pronounces against us. Thankfully, His judgment is so often tempered with mercy.

As we return to John 3 for a second look, we see the extent of God’s mercy: He sent Jesus to die in our places. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin, so great is God’s love for us. All He calls us to do is “believe” in Jesus. This believing is no mere assent to the truth that Jesus is our Savior. It is an all in, commitment to trust Jesus in every area of our lives, to surrender to Him as Lord. As the Israelites were unfaithful, even in the midst of God’s miraculous intervention, so we can be unfaithful even with God’s great demonstration of love through Jesus. The key is to repent when we sin, and to pray for God to deliver us from temptation so we might not sin. As the Apostle Paul will remind us in Romans, “How can we who died to sin continue to live in it?” Choosing life and good is always best for us. It is always simple, but not always easy. That’s why God’s grace and mercy abound. It’s also how we can live in victory in the midst of so many temptations to death and evil. God’s grace and mercy in Jesus provide us the power of His Spirit to overcome.

Deuteronomy 27-29 offers us a long sequence of curses and blessings that would come to the Israelites depending on whether they obeyed God or disobeyed Him. Moses summarizes the covenant between God and the people of Israel again, and calls them to obey it. We cannot miss the significance of the connection God made between our actions and the consequences. Obedience would bring blessing, and disobedience curses. As we have stated in summarizing previous times when such content was the basis of previous chapters, we know we don’t always receive blessings for obeying God. Much of the New Testament tells us we will suffer for obeying God. Jesus is the greatest example of one who was absolutely obedient to God, yet was crucified as a result. The principle remains true: Obeying God leads to blessing. The difference between the Old Testament understanding of that principle and the New Testament understanding is in the Old Testament God told the people they would receive a “one-for-one” correspondence between obedience and blessing. Obedience would bring blessing every time. In the New Testament we see obedience to God might bring pain in this life, but will always bring blessing or reward in the next life.  We don’t always, or often have to wait for the blessings of obedience, because the greatest reward of our obedience to God is a closer relationship with Him.  Every time we obey Him regardless of the immediate consequence physically or materially, we will become closer to Him relationally. That relationship will be made perfect only after this life, when we meet Him face to face, but every step of obedience here-and-now, draws us closer in relationship with Him right now.

As we reread John 2, let’s focus on His cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem. John records this event happening at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, while the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record the event as taking place after Jesus’ Triumphant entry, which means it took place in the last week of Jesus’ life. Does that mean John is wrong, or that the other three are wrong? What if Jesus cleansed the Temple twice? There’s no reason to think He wouldn’t have done it twice. After all, one of Jesus’ purposes in coming was to show the lack of power religion has to save us. The Jewish religious leaders saw their rituals and traditions as the means of pleasing God. They also twisted those rituals and traditions for their own benefit. Jesus told them they had made the Temple “a house of trade.” God’s places and God’s purposes must never be reduced to an opportunity to earn a buck. We are not to “use” God. We belong to Him. We are stewards of all He has given us, and therefore, He gets to use us however He pleases. The good news is God will never “use” us in the sense of taking advantage of us. He will always use us in ways that bring Him glory, but also bring us good. That’s why we must seek Him and His Kingdom first in our lives. As we see from Jesus’ interaction in the Temple, when we misuse God’s places and purposes, Jesus will always stand against that. He will do it at the start of His ministry and at the end. So must we!

Deuteronomy 23-25 offer us a long list of miscellaneous commands. They cover the range of who was permitted to worship in the Tabernacle and who wasn’t, how runaway slaves where to be treated (they were to be given refuge!), that children weren’t to be punished for the sins of their parents, or parents for the sins of their children, and many others commands. As one who doesn’t like rules in general, these precise rules concerning so many matters make my head spin. We must keep reminding ourselves their purpose was to empower the Israelites to serve a holy God, and to become a holy people in the process. God’s holiness is always a matter for our imitation. While we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we are still called to be holy as the Lord our God is holy. Our freedom from the Law is not a license to sin, but rather a source of strength for living according to God’s will and purposes.

Deuteronomy 26 offers another restatement of how tithes and offerings were to be presented, as well as a call to obey all of God’s commands. By now we are surely getting the point: God expects obedience from His people! Again we live under grace, not law, but Jesus told His disciples, “By this will all know you love Me: you obey My commands!” The Great Commission includes the instruction: “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” As my friend Dale Milligan always said, “To love God is to trust Him enough to obey Him.”

Today, we start reading through the Gospel of John a second time. As I have reminded us, the goal in our reading, then re-reading each gospel is so we will gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and all He has done for us. We read from the Gospels everyday in our New Life’s 1 Year Prayer and Bible Reading Plan, because the entire Bible points to Jesus as the Messiah, and as Lord and Savior of us all. While we want to read through the entire Bible each year, so over time we will have an understanding of who God is and how God has operated from creation, until now, and what will happen ultimately for those who love Him in the future, we must know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and live in the power of His Spirit. Reading from the gospels daily, helps us to gain the information we need to apply Jesus’ salvation in our lives.

As we recall, John 1 starts quite differently from the other three gospels. John’s goal was not to tell us about Jesus’ birth or the preparation John the Baptist made for Jesus’ coming–at least not first. First, John wanted to establish Jesus is God. He was with God in the beginning, and He is the one who gives us the right to become children of God through His grace and truth.  As we read through John 1 again, let’s focus on the different names John gives Jesus, and what they mean in our lives as we apply them to our daily living.

Deuteronomy 19 restates the law concerning the establishment of cities of refuge and how they will be used. The basic concept was to limit the “eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” justice that was to be meted out by the family member of one who had been killed, when the death was an accident. There was no mercy for those who committed intentional murder, but accidental death was to be treated with mercy. At the end of the chapter, we also find some admonitions concerning justice with regard to boundary markers, and witnesses and their ability to make accusations. The legal system was intended to provide justice for the nation, and to reflect God’s justice and mercy toward His people.

Deuteronomy 20 established conduct for war against Israel’s enemies. The key point was the Israelites weren’t to be afraid, because God was fighting for them. The priests were to head up the battle, and they were to dismiss any who had recently built a house, planted a vineyard, or been married, so they wouldn’t miss out on enjoying these new experiences in their lives. In addition, any who were afraid were to be dismissed, so their fear wouldn’t incite others to fear. Enemies in distant lands were to be given the option to serve Israel rather than to be destroyed, but the immediate inhabitants of the Promised Land were to be utterly destroyed. We’ve seen this theme over and over again. The reason is the same: God did not want the Israelites to be seduced by the idol worship of the inhabitants, or their immorality. He was establishing a holy nation, and that started with a “clean slate” when it came to their land of habitation. One additional command God gave was for the Israelites not to destroy the trees in any land they went to conquer. His reasoning was the trees had done nothing against the people. This act of conservation demonstrates God’s purpose in having people “subdue the earth and have dominion over it,” as found in Genesis 1, does not include destroying nature for the sake of that dominion.

Deuteronomy 21 restates some random rules we have seen before. They include: how an unsolved murder was to be addressed, so the people would not be held guilty for it; the process for marrying a woman who had been part of a people defeated by Israel; the rights of firstborn sons; dealing with a rebellious son; and the responsibility not to let anyone who had been hung on a tree (as a form of execution) hang there overnight.  These regulations continue into chapter 22, and conclude with a “laundry list” of prohibitions against sexual immorality. As we read through the lists, and see the death penalty for rebellious sons, the treatment of a foreign captive as having no rights, and various other rules that seem to have extreme punishments for the level of the crime, our 21st century sensibilities will undoubtedly be offended once again. Remember, we are dealing with a nation where justice was a new concept, and where holiness was the goal. This won’t make it easier for us to accept the concepts, perhaps, but it will make it easier to understand.

John 21 offers us one of the most poignant scenes in the Bible. Jesus has already shown Himself to the apostles after His resurrection. Nevertheless, Peter decides to go fishing, and takes most of the apostles with him. Perhaps, seeing Jesus alive only reminded Peter of his failure when Jesus was being tried and sentenced to death. In any case, they fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus appeared to them on the beach. He asked whether they had caught any fish. Then He told them to cast their nets on the other side. The result was an amazing catch of fish. At that, John told Peter, “It is the Lord.” Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. When the rest arrived in the boat, Jesus had already cooked breakfast for them.

After the meal, Jesus took Peter aside and asked him three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus’ question contained the Greek word “agape” for love the first two times. Peter responded the first two times with, “Yes, I love (Greek word: philios) you. The two words have significantly different meanings. Agape is the selfless love of God, whereas philios is human friendship. The third time Jesus asked the question, He too, used the word philios.  Jesus recognized at that moment Peter could muster no more than philios, but that was enough. Jesus commanded Peter to care for His “sheep,” each time he responded he loved Jesus. Jesus was reinstating Peter to his work. Jesus was forgiving Peter and telling him to focus forward rather than backward. He even told Peter that one day he would stand up for Jesus at the cost of his own life!

What a powerful lesson for each of us. We have all denied Jesus. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, even after trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus’ words to Peter remind us He loves us–agapes us–regardless of what we have done. That gives us the hope to look forward no matter what we have done in the past, or what detours we are taking right now. The next time we have failed Jesus in some way, let’s remember John 21 and the powerful love Jesus showed Peter. Then remember that same love is ours, because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Deuteronomy 16 restates the need to celebrate the Festivals of Passover, Harvest, and Shelters each year. The conclusion of the chapter and the first part of chapter 17, reminds the people to appoint fair judges to meet the peoples’ needs for settling disputes. It also tells them no one can be convicted on the testimony of a single witness. The chapter concludes with instructions for the time when a king might be chosen for the people. The requirements includes being a native Israelite, and reading and recording the Law daily. Moses wanted to ensure any leader of God’s people would know His ways. Chapter 18 reminds the Israelites of the offerings to be given to the Levites. It then offers another reminder to live holy lives. In specific, the Israelites are reminded never to offer a child in sacrifice to any god. Finally, the people are reminded of how they will know the difference between true and false prophets. Basically, a true prophet serves only God and his or her prophecies always come true.

John 20 records Jesus’ resurrection as well as a statement of the purpose for which John wrote His gospel. In John’s resurrection account, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She went to the tomb and found it empty. She went back and told the disciples about this. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. When they entered the tomb, they found only the grave clothes lying there, with the head cloth in a different place than that of the rest. This was enough to convince John that Jesus had risen.

Next, Jesus appeared to Mary, and they had a conversation. Afterwards, Mary returned to the disciples and told them she had seen the Lord. That night Jesus appeared to all the disciples with the exception of Thomas, who wasn’t with the group. Jesus offered peace to them, breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit, and told them they had the power to forgive or retain sins!

When Thomas heard about Jesus’ appearance to the other ten disciples, he didn’t believe it. He wanted hard evidence that Jesus was alive. He got it: Jesus appeared to him, too. Without needing to touch Jesus, as he said he would need to do to believe Jesus had risen, Thomas fell down and proclaimed, “My Lord, and my God!” Jesus responded to Thomas that he only believed, because he had seen. Then He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” That includes  us!

John concluded the chapter by telling us Jesus did many other signs and wonders not written in his book, but he had written the book so those who read it might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and believing might have life in His name. What a powerful statement. We have not seen Jesus with our own eyes yet. Even so, as we believe in Him, we have life–eternal life–in His name. No greater gift has ever been given, and at such a great cost: the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.