The Bible Reading Challenge Presented by VCY

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26
  Luke 10:38-11:13
  Psalm 76:1-12
  Proverbs 12:15-17

Deuteronomy 26:15 — Obedience brings blessing.

Deuteronomy 27:4 — Joshua 8:30-35 has the fulfillment of this command in regard to the Mount Ebal altar. When we get to Joshua 8, we’ll discuss if it’s been found!

Deuteronomy 27:15-25 — Why are these commands singled out? Verse 15 refers to the idols “in a secret place.” Verse 16 refers to a secret mockery of parents. Verse 17 is an action done in secret. Many of these actions were done in secret. The notorious sins did not need extra condemnation, but the “sins of the heart” that allegedly wouldn’t get caught needed some extra attention. Achan thought he wouldn’t get caught either (Joshua 7:21).

Luke 10:40 — Three times as many evangelicals identify with Martha instead of Mary. We’ll see why in the next chapter, but here’s the quote from Christian Today:

Tellingly, busy Martha was the Bible character evangelicals were most likely to say they identified with (43 percent).

“She was selected almost three times more than her contemplative sister Mary, indicating that busy lifestyles are a widespread feature of contemporary discipleship,” the Alliance said.

Luke 11:1 — The church is in need of being taught how to pray. The Washington Post reports that in Wisconsin only 5 minutes a day is spent on “religious activities” (prayer), as opposed to 34 minutes on housework, 37 minutes on personal grooming, 2 hours and 42 minutes spent watching television, and 5 hours and 16 minutes on leisure.

Finishing up our excerpt from Christian Today:

Although 87 percent agreed that every Christian needs to spend time alone with God on a daily basis, and that without that their faith will suffer, 42 per cent said that they find it difficult to find time on a regular disciplined basis to pray and read the Bible …

Luke 11:9 — What do we need to do in our prayer life? Ask – Seek – Knock. Repeatedly (vs. 8).

Psalm 76:7 — The anger of the Lord isn’t a common topic. Job, the oldest book in the Bible, talks about His anger (Job 4:9). God was angry with the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 32:10, Numbers 11:2, Numbers 32:13). The kings failed to lead their people to avoid His anger (2 Kings 13:3 and 17:18). The Psalmists recorded His anger (Psalm 78:59, 89:38). The prophets warned of His anger (Isaiah 13:5 and 9, Isaiah 51:20; Jeremiah 32:29; Lamentations 2:2; Ezekiel 7:8; Daniel 8:19; Habakkuk 3:12). Jesus was angry at those who defiled His Father’s house (Matthew 21:12-13). Paul warned about God’s anger (Romans 2:5).

Proverbs 12:15 — Rehoboam should have listened to his father’s advice (1 Kings 12:8).

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: https://research.lifeway.com/2014/10/01/americansprayforfriendsandfamily-2/

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19
  Luke 10:13-37
  Psalm 75:1-10
  Proverbs 12:12-14

Deuteronomy 23:1 — While other cultures used eunuchs in their civil or religious structure, God explains that doing so was not His plan for Israel. Circumcision, not castration, was His mark of holiness. Paul suggests that those who belabor circumcision under the New Covenant might as well go all the way to castration (Galatians 5:12).

Deuteronomy 23:6 — Interestingly, Ammonites and Moabites were prohibited from having their peace sought. Ezra 9:12 prohibits seeking the peace of the inhabitants of the land given to Israel, while Jeremiah 29:7 authorizes the people to seek the peace of Babylon.

Joshua Glover

Deuteronomy 23:15 — This contradicts the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In 1854, Joshua Glover, an escaped slave, was captured in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Supreme Court held the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional, which was overturned in Ableman v. Booth.

Deuteronomy 24:1 — Again, another “what if” or “secondary will” passage. Jesus reiterated that this was not God’s “primary will” (Matthew 19:8).

Deuteronomy 24:22 — Moses reminds the children of Israel that they were bondmen (slaves). Thus, they are held to account.

Deuteronomy 25:9 — Who in the Bible gave their shoe as sign that they would not redeem someone? Naomi’s near kinsman (Ruth 4:8).

Luke 10:14 — It seems that there are different punishments for sin depending on 1) the offense, and 2) the knowledge.

Luke 10:25 — The ageless question: How can I have eternal life? The Rich Young Ruler will ask this question in eight chapters. The Lawyer asked the question today. Both were disappointed in the response they received.

Luke 10:33-35 — What’s the moral of this story? That we should be kind to people that are prejudiced against us? While that is admirable, we can see ourselves in the man that fell among thieves, was stripped of raiment, wounded, and left half dead (vs. 30). Sin has taken away our clothing, our health, and our possessions. The religious leader won’t help us (vs. 31). The religious follower can’t help (vs. 32). But the Man that we despised (Isaiah 53:3) had compassion on us (vs. 33), took us, helpless as we were, tended to us, gave a down payment of His resources to provide for us (the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:13-14), and has unlimited resources to provide for our needs! This is love that brings salvation!

Psalm 75:7 — Today is an election day in my hometown, and this is a great verse for successful and unsuccessful political candidates. Government is ordained by God (Romans 13) and is communicated from God.

Proverbs 12:13 — God will deliver the just and will ensnare the wicked with their own deeds!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS14773

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30
  Luke 9:51-10:12
  Psalm 74:1-23
  Proverbs 12:11

Deuteronomy 21:10-14 — This seems like a troublesome passage. And if capturing wives wasn’t unusual enough, the next verse talks about polygamy! What’s going on?

We have seen the “primary will” expounded in several passages at the beginning of the legal code (The Ten Commandments being the simplest expression of the highlights). Now we’re at the tail end of the Torah, dealing not with the primary desires of God but with the “what if’s”.

FOOTNOTE: There are only 79,847 words in the Torah , and 20,000+ are in Genesis. So, if we say that roughly 50,000 words are in the Jewish legal code, that’s still only a fraction of the 4 million or so words in the US tax code. Not every situation will be dealt with, but there are principles for every case.

1. What if someone’s found dead, and we can’t find the killer? (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)
2. What if I really insist on marrying a beautiful captive I found? (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
3. What if I have two wives, and I don’t want the birthright going to the hated wife’s kid? (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)
4. What if I have a really rebellious kid, and he won’t listen? (Deuteronomy 21:18-23)

Just a reminder, this chapter (and all 4 situations dealt with) is not about the “primary will” of God – but rather dealing with the aftereffects of sin. In Matthew 19:8, Jesus said divorce was permitted only because of the “hardness of your heart.” For example, while the primary will of God is that we abstain from fornication (1 Thessalonians 4:3), what does a God-following society do with an instance of fornication? Under the Dispensation of Law, Exodus 22:16 and Deuteronomy 22:28-29 apply – the man has financial consequences regardless, and he should offer to assume marital responsibility (the “secondary will” – demonstrating God’s disdain for “deadbeat dads”). However, the marital responsibility is not inviolate – if the father of the girl does not acquiesce, the marriage cannot proceed (Exodus 22:17).

We see throughout the Bible that marrying “strange wives” (non-followers of Jehovah) was not the “primary will” of God (Numbers 31:16, Deuteronomy 7:3, Joshua 23:12-13, Judges 14:3, 1 Kings 11:3-10, Ezra 10:2-11, Nehemiah 13:27).

However, a young legal scholar in the Israeli army could identify a loophole in the legal code. While he was strongly discouraged from marrying a “strange wife,” if he found a really beautiful maiden, he could look at the actions of nations around him and conclude that “martial rape is an ancient practice.” The young soldier would argue that this was not adultery (because the husband was dead) so he would escape punishment under Leviticus 20:10, and the woman was not betrothed (because her father was dead), escaping punishment under Deuteronomy 22:23. Now you know why Jesus was so hard on lawyers in Luke 11:46! So, the young legal scholar/warrior thinks he has a plan! The first one to forcibly take the attractive woman gets to keep her – until Moses addresses this issue.

Moses is prohibiting martial rape and putting a statutory alternative to those otherwise engaged in the practice. Even today our present legal code has alternatives designed to affect behavior. While battery (physically attacking someone) is wrong, the consequences are less than homicide – otherwise, if I’m going to physically attack you and my ethical deterrent is already lacking, I would not have a legal deterrent to finishing you off.

While the Israelites were discouraged from foreign wives, because of their “hardness of heart,” it was expected that they would find a “loophole” and try to exploit it. The ceremonially unclean captive would be required to shave her head and pare her nails (Deuteronomy 21:12; also required in Leviticus 14:9 and Numbers 6:9 & 18), thus she would be reclassified from a ceremonially unclean leper to a clean Israelite. But even then, the lawyer/warrior was forced to wait an entire month to consummate the relationship.

So, the lawyer/warrior says, “I can still come out ahead! Leviticus 25:44 says that heathen bondservants do not have the rights of Israelite bondservants (Leviticus 25:39). So I have the right to divorce her under Deuteronomy 24:1 and then sell her to someone else – which I can’t do with a Hebrew servant (Exodus 21:8). This is a relationship free from financial obligation that I could incur with an Israelite (Exodus 22:16, Deuteronomy 22:28-29).” As might be said today: “Heads – I enjoy the relationship, Tails – I profit financially.”

Nope … Moses says you can’t sell her. She is now freed. Deuteronomy 21:14 gives the captive woman the same rights as an Israelite servant woman. The immediate enjoyment of martial rape was forbidden, the financial gain if the relationship failed was also taken away.

This is a dramatically different practice than martial rape.

From Quora:

All of the commentaries I have access to note that the legal provisions in Deut 21.10-14 are ‘exceptional’, ‘remarkable’, ‘compassionate’, or even ‘humanistic'(!):

From Pearl Elman:

Legislating behaviour is no guarantee that it will be followed, but it does demonstrate the intention of the legislators. The [author of Deuteronomy] clearly was against rape of captive women by soldiers at war. In light of recent events in Bosnia, it must be appreciated how ethically and morally forward this thinking was.

Luke 9:56 — Some Christians seem to enjoy calling down fire from heaven upon the heathen. But Jesus said, “The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

Luke 9:62 — From Earl Martin:

Luke 10:4 — Interesting tie to the passage we read earlier in the Torah about the duty to provide for one’s religious ministers.

Psalm 74:7 — A foreshadowing of AD 70 and the siege of Jerusalem?

The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem

Proverbs 12:11 — A parallel of 1 Thessalonians 4:11?

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: David Roberts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
  Luke 9:28-50
  Psalm 73:1-28
  Proverbs 12:10

Today is National Atheist’s Day – also known as April Fools’ Day (Psalm 14:1)!

Deuteronomy 18:4 — Throughout the Bible God says that it’s okay and (depending on the passage) even required to pay your ministers! While some groups (the Plymouth Brethren come to mind) cite Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 9:18 as to their use of unpaid volunteers to minister, it is interesting to note the emphasis and “dollar value” that God gives to those in ministry. God holds these men to a high standard (Luke 12:48) and publicly shames those who don’t meet that standard (1 Samuel 2:12, 8:3). As we saw earlier, God killed two of the sons of Aaron for not following directions (Leviticus 10:2).

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 — Note that these are not “abominations to you” in the case of unclean meat, but these are “abominations unto the LORD.” Yet today we have abortion, Ouija boards, horoscopes, fortune tellers, Wicca, astrologers, vampires, and the occult rampant in our society – not to mention the increasing obsession of popular culture with these activities.

Deuteronomy 18:15 — This is an incredible Messianic prophecy about the Prophet who would come. Was this prophet Mohammed as Islam claims? No – it was Jesus! Let Us Reason shows 32 similarities between Jesus and Moses. Even though Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, He was vehemently accused of false prophecy before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:61) by those who were also attempting to disqualify Him under Deuteronomy 18:22.

Deuteronomy 20:8 — We see this in Judges 7:2-3 where the fearful are told to go home.

Deuteronomy 20:17 — Atheists today like to claim that they are more moral than God.

Church of the Transfiguration

Luke 9:50 — This seems to contradict Matthew 12:30. Like the disciples, we too often find it difficult to understand all the sayings of Jesus (Luke 9:45). But here, as usual, context is king. In Matthew, He was talking to the Pharisees who tried to accuse Him of being empowered by Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24), while in Luke He is talking to the disciples who are jealous of others siding with Jesus but were not part of their group. In today’s English, we use many contradictory proverbs – all dependent on context.

Psalm 73:1 — I heard a great message on Psalm 73 entitled “Asaph’s Slipping Steps.” The cure for despair over the rise of the wicked is to enter the sanctuary of God (vs. 17). Like Job (Job 42:1-6) and Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:2), when Asaph entered the sanctuary, he was grieved (vs. 21), he realized his foolishness and ignorance (vs. 22), and he recognized that he had no one but God (vs. 25). Draw near to God (vs. 28)!

Proverbs 12:10 — The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals was started by William Wilberforce. Wilberforce believed that a “Christian” nation should act in a Christian manner; he led the effort to ban the slave trade. He was instrumental as well in the “reformation of manners” which included punishing animal cruelty.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: No machine-readable author provided. Bantosh~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
  Luke 9:7-27
  Psalm 72:1-20
  Proverbs 12:8-9

Deuteronomy 16:16 — What is this place that the Lord has chosen? 2 Chronicles 6:6 says the Lord revealed it to David – Jerusalem! That is the city of the Great King (Psalm 48:1)!

Deuteronomy 17:14 — What are the duties of a king?

• vs. 14 – God is prophesying (1 Samuel 8:20)
• vs. 15 – God requires that the king be an Israelite, not a stranger
• vs. 16 – prohibited from multiplying horses
• vs. 17 – prohibited from multiplying wives, silver, and gold
• vs. 18 – required to copy out the Torah
• vs. 19 – required to read the Torah and obey it
• vs. 20 – required to be humble

Luke 9:9 — Herod was curious about Jesus, but in a positive way (as opposed to his father’s “curiosity” about the newborn king in Matthew 2). Perhaps Joanna and Chuza (Luke 8:1-3) were able to help lobby the king to take a friendly approach similar to Frederick the Wise and Martin Luther.

Tabgha Church Mosaic Israel

Luke 9:21 — Why didn’t Jesus want them to tell who He was? Because it was not the right time yet – He still had prophecies to fulfill. Prior to fulfillment, He could rightly be crucified as a false prophet.

Luke 9:23 — Complete self-surrender. One who takes up a cross is not going anywhere else but to the hill where he will be crucified. Are you crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)?

Psalm 72:20 — This is the end of the “Second Book” of the five that make up the Book of Psalms. From the Pulpit Commentary:

Verse 20. – The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. This is a note appended, either by the collector of the first two Books of the Psalms, or by the collector of the Third Book, who thus marked the difference between the previous collection and his own, the former containing sixty psalms ascribed to David in their titles, and the latter one only Psalm 86.

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/72.htm

Proverbs 12:8 — From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible:

Not according to his birth and pedigree; not according to his riches and wealth; not according to the places of honour and trust he may be in; but according to his wisdom, which he discovers in his words and actions, in his life and conversation.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/proverbs-12-8.html

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Image Credit: Grauesel, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons