Reading 4 - Deut 19-22

19 - Chapter 19 repeats the laws of the cities of refuge, adding three cities (verse 2) to the three on the east-side of Jordan (4:41-43). These cities made sure someone accused of murder received a fair trial. Verses 18-19 provide insight into the way God’s law punished people: the punishment needs to fit the crime.

20 - Chapter 20 discusses the conduct of war. Verse 4 is the key idea here. God will fight with Israel. The battle is His. In light of this, those who don’t trust in God aren’t needed or wanted (verse 8). Too often God’s people act as if numbers matter most, placating and dragging along the faithless and unwilling. What a mistake!

21 - Chapter 21 reinforces the sacredness of human life, with its “unsolved murder” ceremony (verses 1-9). We may be surprised to find the harsh punishment to be meted out to a rebellious child (verses 18-21) but the reader should be reminded that if this was done occasionally it probably would not need to be done again, and even more importantly, God was determined for the family to be the bedrock of the nation. That cannot happen when parental authority isn’t respected. Galatians 3:13 uses verse 23 to say that Christ’s death not only was horribly painful but shameful in the worst way. Crucifixion said to Jews “this one is ac- cursed of God.” Jesus bears that curse for us!

22 - Chapter 22 provides for some curious reading in verses 1-12. Why couldn’t men wear women’s garments (verse 5) or sow mixed seed in a field (verse 9) or mix animals in the yoke (verse 10) or mix kinds of cloth in clothing choices (verse 11)? The answer is found by remembering that Israel was to be separated and holy, completely different from the pagan nations around them. They wouldn’t act like them, or dress like them. They would give no place to sexual perversion or homosexual perversion. Even when it came time to sow a field or get dressed they would be reminded of their unique identity as God’s people (note verse 12). The chapter concludes with laws on sexual immorality, showing how seriously God takes the sex- ual relationship.

Psalm 6

David’s lament here is often listed among penitential psalms (32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143) there is not a specific confession here. Instead there is talk and prayer about being abandoned and a desire for God to return and save. The psalmist finds himself under the rebuke of God (verse 1). He is suffering, but that suffering is evi- dently tied to the chastening hand of His God. Thus, with reverent honesty, the psalmist will ask God how long, and complain that he cannot bear up much longer (verses 2-3). His pain is real (verses 6-7) but he will not give up on God and join with the wicked (verse 8; cited in Matt 7:23). In all of this honesty there is reso- lution as the psalm closes in great faith (verses 9-10).

LUKE

10 - Jesus commissions the Seventy to go out and preach. The result is the rolling back of Satan’s do- minion (verse 18). We then get two stories about what it is to be a disciple. Unfortunately, often times the story of the Good Samaritan (verse 29ff) gets bogged down in discussion of whether it means I must stop to help change a stranger’s flat tire. Please remember the story is not about a man who is inconvenienced be- cause his donkey threw a shoe. The man is bleeding to death! This story involves doing for others and the next story speaks of listening to Jesus (Mary in verse 39). Discipleship consists of both action and thought. We hear Jesus and we do Jesus’ bidding, particularly for others.

11 - Note the emphasis on persistence in prayer (verses 5-13). In our instant society this is much over- looked. Verse 30 includes Gentiles again, this time the Ninevites.