Reading
SAA Notes
Times of prosperity are times for serving the Lord joyfully and gladly. (v.47) When you read verses 58-63, remember that the public hygiene regulations of Leviticus preserves life today wherever their principles are practiced. The Base Hospital signs asking visitors to wash their hands under running water before and after visiting a ward have a real public health purpose that we disregard because of ignorance. We don’t think it matters!
SJA Notes
* God of Justice and Mercy, arise O Lord, lift up Your hand, forget not the afflicted!
“And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other,”
A bit truth of Israel’s history is that the curses _did_ fall upon them. They were broken, destroyed, made the tail, besieged and taken into the slavery. All the terrible outcomes, the curses, came upon Israel.
In Psalm 44 we read,
“You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations.”
This word comes to us, we need to struggle with it. A faithful believer, one of God’s people in truth, cries out to God,
“Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself? Do not reject us forever!”
The reality of our sin is such that we are so often at fault. We are broken without remedy from any human fixing.
We can find it hard know how to cry out to God as the psalmist does,
“Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way;”
How can this be said truthfully from the lips of a believer?
We come back to Jesus. He is the key.
In Christ, we are able to find rescue and comfort, we are able to wrestle with death and despair, turmoil and hardship – as they impact us in our lives.
In Colossians 3 we have much to be comforted about as we wrestle through these things,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, …”
* Dear God,
Thank You, praise You! That You have made an everlasting covenant with us in Jesus – One that is founded not on our obedience (or broken on our disobedience) but on Jesus!
Hallelujah!
Amen.