April 20, Reading 1 – Leviticus 27

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Redemption has a practical everyday application in ordinary life as well as spiritually or religiously. How do we redeem our words, our promises and vows?

SJA Notes

* Dear God Above, please teach us today and humble us, that we might live by faith.

“… Every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD.”

There is a link between this passage and that of 1st Samuel 1, where Hannah vows to the Lord that if He gives her a son she will devote him to the Lord all the days of his life.

Samuel was given very early to the Lord, and heard God from a young age.

Samuel users in a pivotal change for Israel – the kings!

Here in Leviticus we read the language of both redemption and being devoted for destruction.

Samuel ordained the kings, and one of their jobs is to mete out judgement, devoting to destruction.

Both Saul and David upheld this, at times. But then Saul refuses in 1st Samuel 15.

David is a better model of redemption and destruction, but still fails.

Jesus, our true and forever King, the perfect model and pattern – HE will bring destruction in a final ultimate treading of the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty (Revelation 19).

Here in this passage we read a clear foreshadowing of Jesus,

“No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.”

Romans 5:10 tells us that before being reconciled we are God’s enemies.

Ezekiel 18:4 tells us that the soul who sins shall die.

So we are those devoted to destruction.

And yet, we read in Romans 6,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Because He paid the penalty for our sin, Jesus was able to ransom and redeem us.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Father God in Heaven,

You are so good to us, thank You Lord!

Please teach us more of You today.

Amen.

April 20, Reading 2 – Psalm 142, 143

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Read Jonah’s prayer in Jonah 2 as you read these two psalms. They are peas from the same pod! Did Jonah model his prayer on the memory of this psalm of David’s? It is certainly a good idea to model our prayers on the psalms.

SJA Notes

* Wonderful God, You are our refuge, You are our portion in the land of the living!

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me to know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

This is what we are doing when we commit to the a daily reading of God’s word.

LET ME HEAR IN THE MORNING.

MAKE ME TO KNOW THE WAY I SHOULD GO.

God’s word is our daily bread, our world view, our situational wisdom, our encouragement to spur one another on to good works, and our mirror and conviction of the sin that lies within us all.

This is why we pray that the Lord would show us what His word has for us today.

David knew this. He knew the importance of a daily recurring practice, of a daily re-alignment, a daily re-calibration.

In the regularity of our communion with the Lord through His word we are taught, rebuked, exhorted and encouraged!

* Dear Father God,

Please let us hear in the morning of Your steadfast love.

Please make us to know the way we should go today.

Please show us what You want for us today from Your word.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

April 20, Reading 3 – Mark 12:18-44

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Verses 26,27 form a wonderful answer by Jesus. These words also give the lie to the false belief of soul-sleep – that you cease to be, to live, at death and remain so until the resurrection. God is the God of the living – and Abraham and other Patriarchs were all physically dead!

SJA Notes

* Dear Lord God, Your word is what we need. Please teach us today.

“For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

There is a very real truth here showing the open-hearted giving that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 9, not reluctantly or under compulsion, a cheerful giver.

Additionally there are truths of COST and SELF-UNDERSTANDING involved.

The woman gave all that she had. From an earthly perspective it is hard to understand why you would do that. But the woman had obviously considered the cost and chosen to put her trust in the Lord rather than the things of this world.

The woman gave out of her poverty. Our own state before the Lord is one of having nothing of note, nothing of worth to bring, nothing in ourselves – It is only Him at work in us, His love and faithfulness, His Spirit writing His word on our hearts.

Today we too are to give all we have to the Lord, with an open heart from our of our humble estate.

* Holy God,

There is none like You.

Please help us offer up ourselves as living sacrifices, and may this be holy and acceptable to You.

Amen.