Readings for 14,15 September & comments
The Bible readings for Friday 14 and Saturday 15 September are -- Deut 31:30-32:52; Ps 48:1-7; Pro 11:16-18; Lk 12:22-40.
Feel free to share your comments any time.
Gordon's comments in 16 September bulletin on Lk 12:27-31 and materialism.
Ps John suggests "striving" rather than "seeking" in Lk 12:29-31.
Ps John has a comment on Deut 32 about responding to God with rebelliousness.
Labels: kingdom, mercy, money, obedience/disobedience
posted by Ps John @ 12:13 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Gordon made the following challenging comments on Lk 12:27-31 in the bulletin on 16 September.
"Here Jesus challenges our materialistic tendencies, our preoccupations with having the best that this world offers. Here, he puts the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the liquids we drink all into context. Yes, of course they are important, and He will provide for us. He knows what we need, even before we ourselves do, and just as he provided for the Israelites in the desert all those years ago, He cannot deny His character and will not let His people go without what they truly need. But it is not to be our preoccupation! We are to set our hearts and minds on other, higher things and let God's provision of our 'daily bread' take care of itself. The Kingdom of God, and all that is entailed in kingdom values and purposes is to be our higher goal. That is to be our focus, our destiny. May God help us today as we worship and felowship together to set our sights on the things that really matter in life and not be preoccupied by the trivial and the worldly."
The EDWJ Bible has the following translations - "Don't keep STRIVING for what you should eat and what you should drink" (Lk 12:29); "For the Gentile world eagerly SEEKS all these thinhs" (12:30); "But SEEK His Kingdom" (12:31). It's the same Greek word each time. I think it's probably best translated as "strive" in each case. It seems more active and urgent. So strive for His Kigdom rather than worldly things. Go for it!
Here it is again. Another statement about God's faithfulness contrasted with Israel's rebelliousness. This is a particularly comprehensive and powerful statement, drawing out points from the nation's history. It is actually a song God gave Moses. (See Deut 31:19-22.) One of our contemporary songs is based on some of the early verses - "Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock."
In Moses' song, God is great, perfect, faithful, righteous, true (Deut 32:3,4). He is frequently referred to as the Rock in this chapter. He has stedfastly loved, cared for and provided for them (32:6-14). But they have repaid the LORD with rebellion, corruption and idolatry (32:5-6, 15-18).
Where will this lead? Deut 32:19-43 is scary reading. But Moses makes it clear that it is a warning, and there is still hope for a long life in the land (32:45-47). God's graciousness continues.
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