by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 23-25
When the laws of the United States were drawn up, Jewish law was used as a guideline. That’s why at one time, there were “usury laws,” limiting the amount of interest which could be charged. (You can see that God views it as immoral to charge too much interest).
In fact, among countrymen, no interest was to be charged at all. (Deuteronomy 23:19) No one made a living just by charging interest on money.
Furthermore, it’s clear that the poor were to be treated with dignity. If you took collateral for a loan, the poor man was to be given it back before nightfall. And if you hired a poor man to work for you, you were to pay him at the end of the day.(24:10-15)
Then there were the fields. We’ve already discussed this, but the fields were not to be harvested to completion. Neither were the Olive trees, nor the grape vines. All of these were to be kept for the poor to glean their food after the harvest. Provision without handouts.(24:19-21)
Then there is this. Each person should feel free to eat some of the fruit or grain from their neighbor’s field, as long as they didn’t harvest it for further use. Such hospitality!
Can you see a pattern? Kindness and generosity were being taught to these Jews. They were to look out for the welfare of each other and consider others’ needs as well as their own. They were being taught to love their brother.
Honesty and integrity were also important principles. There were not to be two different weights in the bag.(25:13). In those days, the farm products were sold by weight, and sometimes deceitful people would play tricks in the bargain. They would have two differing weights that were marked the same. When they were selling, they would use the light weight, which would make the customer think they were getting more than they were. Yet when they were buying, they would use the heavy weight, so that they were getting a bigger portion. Not so, says God.
No tricks for God’s people. Just honesty and integrity. One weight for all purposes, making the transactions just and fair.
Isn’t it comforting to know that our God, the One in whom we trust our lives, is toally just and fair to all of us.
Mark 14:1-25
It’s worth noting that just after the woman with the alabaster box of costly perfume had poured it out on Jesus, Judas went to the chief priests to plot against his Lord. Greed will do a number on a person. Judas carried the money bag for Jesus, and used to steal from it. I believe that he was the one who was so offended at the “waste” of the costly perfume.
He just didn’t get it. This woman was pouring the perfume over Jesus, when they could sell it and give the money to the poor. She was worshiping Jesus extravagantly. Judas didn’t have a heart for that. He was just thinking about the money.
John 12:6 says that Judas objected, not because he cared about the poor, but because he wanted the money in the bag so he could steal it.
Over the years, I have encountered people who didn’t like worship and prayer. Sometimes new believers don’t know yet how to worship and pray, but I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about people who have been Christians for a while, but who get annoyed when worship or prayer lasts too long or gets too intense.
Usually those people were also stingy with their money. They didn’t want to give too much to the poor, or the church, or to missions. Just a little.
I want to be an extravagant worshiper. I want to stay in my Father’s presence long enough to hear what He is saying to me. And I want to be generous to give to His causes.
![Read The Bible Through, March 14]()
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 20-22
When man has no developed conscience to know right from wrong, it takes bunches of laws to teach him. So we continue with the “sundry laws,” concerning what to do with unknown murders, how to treat your neighbors’ property, and how to deal with sexual sin and rebellious children. Tough laws!!
When I’m reading through passages like this, I always like to find some “gold nuggets,” which enlighten me. These are bits of truth which encourage me concerning our Christian walk.
One of these nuggets is 20:1 and following. “When you go into battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, don’t be afraid of them, for the Lord your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.” Today we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers. In the natural, these enemies are greater than us, but they are small compared to our God. (more…)
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 17-19
How do you keep people from Satan before they are equipped to fight against him? That is God’s challenge in dealing with the children of Israel.
Natural man is no match for the devil when he opens the door of his heart to enemy influence. There would come a time when Jesus would pay the price for the sin of Adam and send back Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of those who were His. Then those people would have the power to overcome the devil. But that time wasn’t here yet.
So God can’t teach the Israelites to stand against the devil; He has to settle for keeping them out of Satan’s territory. That’s why He is so strict about opening the doors to the devil.
When the people worship other gods, they are opening themselves to Satan, without even knowing it. When they are influenced by other pagans, or when they enter into sexual perversion, or when they take on the practices of the Canaanites, they open wide their hearts to be influenced away from the one true God. So our Father, out of His love for the people, keeps them from the evil one by harshly dealing with those who violate His parameters.
They must obey. That’s the only way their lives will be saved from their adversary.
When we keep in mind what God is dealing with and what is at stake, we understand the no tolerance policy of our Father. He has to keep a group of people faithful enough to God’s principles to be able to eventually bring his perfect sacrifice, Jesus, through them.
What a job! But our God accomplishes it, just like He will accomplish the rest of His Word. We have an awesome, Holy, powerful, loving God!
Mark 13:1-20
There are many interpretations concerning the end times. There are those who think all of this happened under Nero, when the Christians were fed to the lions, the temple was destroyed, and Jerusalem burned.
Yet, obviously, everything wasn’t over then, because we are still here. Many times there are seasons of prophecy being fulfilled, as certain aspects of the prophecy come around again and again. I think that this is what is happening here.
It seems to me that it would be hard to look around and not realize that we are in the end times. I don’t know how long this phase will last, but it’s hard to imagine things getting much worse.
This is not to bring fear, but wisdom. We should be actively pursuing our relationship with God. He is our refuge and strength, regardless of what is going on around us. We should also be actively sharing His love with those close by.
God’s Word is true, and His promises will come true.
Let’s commit ourselves to a greater pursuit of His presence, His Kingdom, and His plan.
“And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”(Daniel 12:3)
