Joshua 7:16-9:2 + Luke 16:1-18 + Psalm 82:1-8 + Proverbs 13:2-3
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Old Testament - In Joshua chapter 7 today we continue to read about Achan's sin, which caused 36 Israelites to die in the first attack on the city of Ai. I realize that the destruction of Achan and his family may be tough for us to read, but I think it's important to remember Achan's sin caused other Israelites to die. I found Joshua's words interesting in verse 19 as he spoke to Achan: "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, by telling the truth." He has a fatherly tone here - and I like the thought of giving glory to God by telling the truth.
In chapter 8 verse 1 we read this today - "Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged." This repeats what we heard God say to Joshua in chapter 1 verse 9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." This makes sense that in the midst of the conquest of the Promised Land that this would need to be repeated often. I'm wondering if we need to hear this in our lives today as well from God often - do not be afraid or discouraged. It is so true. With God in our lives we do not need to be afraid or discouraged! I need to be reminded of this often...
Now that we are just past the Pentateuch in our readings - the first five books in the Old Testament - verses like 34 & 35 stand out to me as God's covenant is renewed with the Israelites - "Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of the Law. Every command Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among the Israelites." After our recent readings about the Israelites victories at Jericho and Ai, I am not surprises by Joshua chapter 9 verse 2 at all.... - "These kings quickly combined their armies to fight against Joshua and the Israelites." Seems like a logical idea to try to band together. We get some interesting tactics coming from the Gibeonites in tomorrow's readings. Stay tuned! Below is nineteenth century French artist Gustave Dore's take on today's readings about Ai:
Bible.org's commentary on Joshua chapter 7 is at this link and at this link. Commentary on Joshua chapter 8 is at this link.
New Testament - The story of the shrewd manager in Luke chapter 16 today concludes with some powerful teachings from Jesus. Verses 8 & 9 stand out to me today - "And it is true that the citizens of this world are more shrewd than the godly are. I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven." I like that teaching - we should use our worldly resources to benefit others. I've been thinking about this a bit more lately. And I wondered what it would be like if I went through my days consciously trying to make other people happy. I don't think I've really ever done this over a sustained period. Maybe I've glimpses of using my resources to benefit others. To make them happy. I want to do more of this... How about you? Are you consciously using your resources (time, treasure & talents) to make others happy in your life each day?
Verse 10 is also a strong teaching from Jesus today - ""Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities." I think there was a very popular book out there a while back called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Well, it looks to me in this verse that God sweats the small stuff. And you and I should sweat the small stuff. We need to be faithful in small matters in our daily lives or else indeed we will not be faithful in large matters. Will you join me in sweating the small stuff when it comes to matters of our integrity before God?
Bible.org's commentary on our Luke chapter 16 readings today titled "Does Christ commend the crook or "The Sting?"" is at this link.
Psalms - I love Psalm 82 verses 3 & 4 - ""Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people." I realize these verses were spoken to Israel's judges. But, I think they can speak to you and I today as well. Particularly, "rescue the poor and helpless" stands out to me today. What are some ways you are rescuing the poor and helpless in your life today? How are you delivering them from the grasp of evil people? This actually reminds me of a couple of friends of mine who are so passionate about rescuing young girls from the sex slave industry in some Asian countries - I think Thailand is where they do most of their work. Clearly, young girls that have to sell their bodies in this type of situation are under the grasp of evil people. And I am so humbled by my friends' work toward delivering girls from this grasp. My friends are only able to do this really well because of their relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the true rescuer - first of my friends and now through my friends to these young girls. But, wow, it makes me wonder if I am truly allowing Jesus to rescue the poor and helpless through me? How about you?
Proverbs - There is probably absolutely nothing I could or should add to Proverbs chapter 13 verse 3 :) - "Those who control their tongue will have a long life."
Worship Video: Today's readings in Luke reminded me of Zach Williams song "Less Like Me:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkYL1b7MCEw
Do you want to be less like you? Click here and be more like Jesus!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are serving God alone. Pray that you are not in love with or devoted to money.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Do you agree with this Proverb above? Are you able to control your tongue? Or sometimes does your tongue control you? Any advice on how someone can control their tongue? Prayer, Grace, and the Holy Spirit are 3 antidotes that come to mind for me! :) Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Joshua 7:16-9:2
In reading about Achan in the seventh chapter I’m struck by how much his plight illustrates the Words Jesus spoke in Matthew 16:26,
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Achan became caught up in the “Lust of the eyes” and the deceitfulness of that sin elevated the value of gold in his eyesight above the worth of God who created and placed the gold in the earth. That deception bore such horrendous fruit that his entire family was wiped out because of his “little” sin. So too are our sins not hidden no matter how far “undercover” we go. What is done in the dark will be brought out to the light. (Luke 12:3)
Luke 16:1-18
In Geometry there is a theorem or proof, I forget which, that says, “The whole is equal to the sum of its parts.” We can study the whole of the Bible and miss the parts that make up the whole, or we can concentrate on the parts and miss the whole. It is my desire for each and everyone who enters this Blog’s portal to learn to walk in balance between the two views, the parts and the whole, also know as “The Big Picture.”
Stating this I will continue to explore the entire chapter from a perspective that first came to me one-year ago while reading this chapter. First I saw the entire sixteenth chapter as parts to a whole having the same theme, an overarching lesson with individual lessons within the whole.
I believe that verses one through fourteen, sixteen through eighteen, and nineteen through the end of the chapter are all speaking about the same thing, rightly handling the Word of God and valuing it over every earthly thing.
The rich man employed the “Shrewd Manager”, but who was this rich man. Understanding that Jesus used Parables to explain the Kingdom of God to those who had ears to hear, I have positioned this man in my mind as God. The manager, and those he represents, is a “shepherd” over a flock or flocks of “sheep.” Today we have ministers of the Gospel over small to to large mega churches and Para-churches. In those days there were the religious hierarchy stationed in Jerusalem governing the daily activities of Synagogues in the cities, towns and villages where there were at least ten practicing Jews, from Asia to Africa and Europe.
If God is the “rich man” then the possessions the manager handled would have to be the “rich man’s” Word, His most valuable property. The manager is said to have invited everyone who owed His master to come and discuss the situation after finding out he was to be fired. The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus because they knew He was about to take their jobs from them. Jobs they were not doing according to the procedures the “rich man” had instituted. The manager’s invitation was not to a party but to a discussion to talk about what each owed to his employer and to play, “Let’s Make a Deal.” (That was an old TV game show. Forgive my dated reference).
What were these people dealing in, oil, olive oil to be precise and wheat. Now sometimes what something is, is what it really is, but I began thinking that this oil and wheat is a figurative representation. Olive oil represents the anointing oil that was poured out on the top of Aaron’s head flowing down onto his beard to the hem of his garment when he was consecrated into the priesthood. Also win the Olive grove, Gethsemane, which means olive press in Hebrew, where Jesus struggled under the burden of going to the cross so much that his sweat was like great drops of blood, so this "Oil" is precious.
It was about this “anointing” this precious oil that flowed from crushed olives that the debtors and the about to be fired manager bargained over. And the wheat, what does the wheat represent? Wheat is used to make bread, and bread represents the Word of God, the Manna that fell from heaven to feed the nation of Israel as they wondered in the desert for forty years. They sat down to discount the very source of life.
As I looked at this chapter in this perspective, verses eight through ten that had baffled me in the past began to become clearer in my understanding. If I don’t handle the small matters with integrity, the things of this world, then the greater responsibility of understanding and handling rightly, the Word of God, will always be out of my grasp.
In the entire chapter amongst the other great messages and parables are teachings on the value of the Word, the Law and the Prophets.
Psalm 82:1-8
After my lengthy discourse on Luke 16, I’m struck again by the similitude of the messages in two different books written by two different writes hundreds of years apart.
1God presides over heaven's court; he pronounces judgment on the judges:
2"How long will you judges hand down unjust decisions? How long will you shower special favors on the wicked?
The judges can only had down just decisions if they use the just Laws given by a just God to Moses. Like the “Shrewd Manager” in Luke sixteen, they have mishandled the precious Word of God.
Proverbs 13:2-3
Our words create our worlds. Don’t like the world your living in, change your conversation.
2 Good people enjoy the positive results of their words, but those who are treacherous crave violence. 3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything.
Mike,
I have come to have great affection for you and I'm not sure if this is a motherly concern, I hope not, but my desire for you is that you become the man God has created and ordained you to be, fulfilling fully the purpose He has created and called you too. So I kind of cringed when I read this,
>>So, I've been thinking about this a bit more lately. And I wondered what it would be like if I went through my days consciously trying to make other people happy. >>
Can we really make people happy? According to the Apostle Paul, our state of mind and happiness is a condition of the will, it is a choice, just read Paul's letter to the Book of Philippians, especially the fourth chapter
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
God didn't promise us "happy," however, he did promise us "joy." Happiness, I believe, is always based on circumstances; conversely, joy is based on one knowing the final outcome of a thing; and Jesus did say to us be of good cheer for I have overcome the World (John 16:33). If we are in Christ, as Paul has stated, we are over comers. The writer of Hebrews states Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (12:2). I'm sure Jesus was not happy going to the cross but he knew what his pain and suffering would bring to the men and women He created.
Being a blessing to others is not a bad thing because we are blessed to be a blessing, but taking up a mandate to make others happy will cause you to fall into a bottomless pit. Truthfully, there are a lot of people who have willed themselves to be unhappy, and you may also find yourself casting your pearls before swine: giving to people who God has not told you to give to out of the storehouse from which God has so richly blessed you.
So my prayer for you becomes one of asking God to show you who you are to bless. After all Jesus only did what He saw His Father do (John 5:19). Jesus did not operate out of needs. If that were the case we wouldn't be living in a world were people are starving. When Jesus fed the multitudes he didn't create a feeding program He fed them because they had been with Him a long time listening to him teach. When we get to the Book of Acts we will read about a man who was placed daily at the gate of the Temple for a long time, yet Jesus did not heal that man when we walked through those gates the week before His death, why?
I guess in short what I'm trying to say is check why you want to make people happy; pray that God will direct you to the people who He wants you to bless, and don't live your life based on other people's testimony and experiences because then you will get what they got, maybe. When we desire to have or to do what other people have done or get what others have gotten, we don't have all the facts. We may not want to go through what they did to get what they have. God made you an original, find out what that is for you, and don't become a copy.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | April 12, 2025 at 08:23 PM