JOSHUA 22:21- 23:16
LUKE 20:27- 47
PSALM 89:14- 37
PROVERBS 13:17- 19
Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh answered these high officials:22 "The LORD alone is God! The LORD alone is God! We have not built the altar in rebellion against the LORD. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. But the LORD knows, and let all Israel know, too, 23 that we have not built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the LORD. Nor will we use it for our burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings. If we have built it for this purpose, may the LORD himself punish us. 24" We have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, `What right do you have to worship the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 The LORD has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and your people. You have no claim to the LORD. 'And your descendants may make our descendants stop worshiping the LORD. 26 So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt sacrifices, 27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, `You have no claim to the LORD.' 28 If they say this, our descendants can reply, `Look at this copy of the LORD's altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the LORD. '29 Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the LORD our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose. "30 When Phinehas the priest and the high officials heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them," Today we know the LORD is among us because you have not sinned against the LORD as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the LORD. "32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the ten high officials left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened. 33 And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad. 34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar" Witness, "for they said," It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is our God, too. "23:1 THE years passed, and the LORD had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, 2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them," I am an old man now. 3 You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as an inheritance all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered-- from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 This land will be yours, for the LORD your God will drive out all the people living there now. You will live there instead of them, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6 "So be strong! Be very careful to follow all the instructions written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Do not deviate from them in any way. 7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. 8 But be faithful to the LORD your God as you have done until now. 9" For the LORD has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. 10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God. 12 "But if you turn away from him and intermarry with the survivors of these nations remaining among you, 13 then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out from your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a pain in your side and a thorn in your eyes, and you will be wiped out from this good land the LORD your God has given you. 14" Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! 15 But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely wipe you out from this good land he has given you. 16 If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly be wiped out from the good land he has given you. "
Then some Sadducees stepped forward-- a group of Jews who say there is no resurrection after death. 28 They posed this question:" Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother's heir. 29 Well, there were seven brothers. The oldest married and then died without children. 30 His brother married the widow, but he also died. Still no children. 31 And so it went, one after the other, until each of the seven had married her and died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died, too. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her! "34 Jesus replied," Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But that is not the way it will be in the age to come. For those worthy of being raised from the dead won't be married then. 36 And they will never die again. In these respects they are like angels. They are children of God raised up to new life. 37 But now, as to whether the dead will be raised-- even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as `the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. They are all alive to him. "39" Well said, Teacher! "remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And that ended their questions; no one dared to ask any more. 41 Then Jesus presented them with a question." Why is it, "he asked," that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? 42 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:`The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
43 until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet. '
44 Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time? "45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46" Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 47 But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater. "
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars-- righteousness and justice.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
16 They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness.
17 You are their glorious strength.
Our power is based on your favor.
18 Yes, our protection comes from the LORD,
and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
19 You once spoke in a vision to your prophet and said,
" I have given help to a warrior.
I have selected him from the common people to be king.
20 I have found my servant David.
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
21 I will steady him,
and I will make him strong.
22 His enemies will not get the best of him,
nor will the wicked overpower him.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him
and destroy those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,
and he will rise to power because of me.
25 I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west
to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east.
26 And he will say to me, `You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'
27 I will make him my firstborn son,
the mightiest king on earth.
28 I will love him and be kind to him forever;
my covenant with him will never end.
29 I will preserve an heir for him;
his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.
30 But if his sons forsake my law
and fail to walk in my ways,
31 if they do not obey my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32 then I will punish their sin with the rod,
and their disobedience with beating.
33 But I will never stop loving him,
nor let my promise to him fail.
34 No, I will not break my covenant;
I will not take back a single word I said.
35 I have sworn an oath to David,
and in my holiness I cannot lie:
36 His dynasty will go on forever;
his throne is as secure as the sun,
37 as eternal as the moon,
my faithful witness in the sky! "
Interlude
An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing. If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored. It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools will not turn from evil to attain them
LUKE 20:27- 47
PSALM 89:14- 37
PROVERBS 13:17- 19
Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh answered these high officials:22 "The LORD alone is God! The LORD alone is God! We have not built the altar in rebellion against the LORD. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. But the LORD knows, and let all Israel know, too, 23 that we have not built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the LORD. Nor will we use it for our burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings. If we have built it for this purpose, may the LORD himself punish us. 24" We have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, `What right do you have to worship the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 The LORD has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and your people. You have no claim to the LORD. 'And your descendants may make our descendants stop worshiping the LORD. 26 So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt sacrifices, 27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, `You have no claim to the LORD.' 28 If they say this, our descendants can reply, `Look at this copy of the LORD's altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the LORD. '29 Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the LORD our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose. "30 When Phinehas the priest and the high officials heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them," Today we know the LORD is among us because you have not sinned against the LORD as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the LORD. "32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the ten high officials left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened. 33 And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad. 34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar" Witness, "for they said," It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is our God, too. "23:1 THE years passed, and the LORD had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, 2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them," I am an old man now. 3 You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as an inheritance all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered-- from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 This land will be yours, for the LORD your God will drive out all the people living there now. You will live there instead of them, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6 "So be strong! Be very careful to follow all the instructions written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Do not deviate from them in any way. 7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. 8 But be faithful to the LORD your God as you have done until now. 9" For the LORD has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. 10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God. 12 "But if you turn away from him and intermarry with the survivors of these nations remaining among you, 13 then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out from your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a pain in your side and a thorn in your eyes, and you will be wiped out from this good land the LORD your God has given you. 14" Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! 15 But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely wipe you out from this good land he has given you. 16 If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly be wiped out from the good land he has given you. "
Then some Sadducees stepped forward-- a group of Jews who say there is no resurrection after death. 28 They posed this question:" Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother's heir. 29 Well, there were seven brothers. The oldest married and then died without children. 30 His brother married the widow, but he also died. Still no children. 31 And so it went, one after the other, until each of the seven had married her and died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died, too. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her! "34 Jesus replied," Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But that is not the way it will be in the age to come. For those worthy of being raised from the dead won't be married then. 36 And they will never die again. In these respects they are like angels. They are children of God raised up to new life. 37 But now, as to whether the dead will be raised-- even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as `the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. They are all alive to him. "39" Well said, Teacher! "remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And that ended their questions; no one dared to ask any more. 41 Then Jesus presented them with a question." Why is it, "he asked," that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? 42 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:`The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
43 until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet. '
44 Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time? "45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46" Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 47 But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater. "
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars-- righteousness and justice.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
16 They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness.
17 You are their glorious strength.
Our power is based on your favor.
18 Yes, our protection comes from the LORD,
and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
19 You once spoke in a vision to your prophet and said,
" I have given help to a warrior.
I have selected him from the common people to be king.
20 I have found my servant David.
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
21 I will steady him,
and I will make him strong.
22 His enemies will not get the best of him,
nor will the wicked overpower him.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him
and destroy those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,
and he will rise to power because of me.
25 I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west
to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east.
26 And he will say to me, `You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'
27 I will make him my firstborn son,
the mightiest king on earth.
28 I will love him and be kind to him forever;
my covenant with him will never end.
29 I will preserve an heir for him;
his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.
30 But if his sons forsake my law
and fail to walk in my ways,
31 if they do not obey my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32 then I will punish their sin with the rod,
and their disobedience with beating.
33 But I will never stop loving him,
nor let my promise to him fail.
34 No, I will not break my covenant;
I will not take back a single word I said.
35 I have sworn an oath to David,
and in my holiness I cannot lie:
36 His dynasty will go on forever;
his throne is as secure as the sun,
37 as eternal as the moon,
my faithful witness in the sky! "
Interlude
An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing. If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored. It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools will not turn from evil to attain them
