Daily Reading Passages
Click below for access to the passages. Biblegateway.com is an excellent site with many versions of the Bible. The link below opens in NIV. Youversion.com is a new site that allows you to annotate your own Bible, make notes, and comments once you create an account. That link opens in the TNIV version. Other versions are available at both sites.
Coaching Comments
The Old Testament reading for today is Leviticus 14:1-57. This chapter is the immediate follow-up to yesterday's reading. Here we find detailed instructions for how a person or a house that's found to be unclean can be made clean again. To our ears this sounds like a lot of trivial detail. But one of the things that this whole ritual did was underscore the importance of remaining "clean," and avoiding the "unclean." It's fairly rigorous process to be declared clean again. And all of those steps simply stood to highlight the idea that the best place for someone to be is to stay plate.
An interesting note in today's reading comes in this section on cleansing from mildew. In this second verse of this section, God says, "when you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put the spreading mildew in a house in that land..." In this verse God claims credit for the mildew that someone might find in their house. This might seem strange to our modern ears, knowing something about moisture and microscopic organisms. It seems a little odd that God would claim to be the one who put every mildew in place - other than in the very general sense that God created everything.
But in the context of the original Hebrews hearing these laws, this passage was odd for a completely different reason. The cultures around them, especially the culture in Egypt were they had just come from, were wildly pantheistic. There was a minor god of some kind responsible for every different aspect of life. You had gods for growing crops, gods for harvesting crops, gods for rain, gods for insects, gods for war, gods for financial prosperity, the list goes on and on. And in a pantheistic culture, the way to get ahead in a particular area was to appease the God who was responsible for that area. When people saw something that was out of their control and negative, like mildew, they would pray or sacrifice to the god that might have been the one who caused it. But one of God's first lessons to these people was that there was only one God. So throughout the Old testament, numerous times, we see Yahweh God being willing to take credit for things that aren't necessarily His fault or directly caused by Him, simply so that He could highlight the truth that He alone was God. These people were predisposed to believe that everything that occurred happened at the will of some divine figure or other. Given that, God took credit for everything, good and bad. This is one very small example of this kind of situation.
Mark 6:30-56 is our New Testament reading for today. Here we see two stories in Mark's presentation of the life of Jesus: Jesus feeding a large gathered crowd, and Jesus want them water.
The disciples, as you remember, had recently been sent out by Jesus on their own mission trip. They've come back now with some success and now even more people know about Jesus through their missionary efforts. As so a large crowd begins to gather where Jesus is. Undoubtedly, many of these are people who heard about him through the work of the disciples. Jesus taught and healed them, the day grew long, and Jesus, in his compassion, decided to provide some food for them. The disciples couldn't see how this could happen. It was such a huge logistical task, and expensive. But Jesus used it as an opportunity to stretch their faith and to show them again who he was.
After this amazing miraculous meal, Jesus put the disciples in a boat and sent them across the lake to Bethsaida. During the evening he caught up to them walking on the water. This was so far outside their paradigm, that they thought was a ghost. Jesus' words to them, "Take courage! It Is I. Don't be afraid," Are the same words we need to hear all the time not only when were afraid, but when we encounter God in way we don't expect.
Our Psalms reading, Psalms 40:1-10 is the first half of the 40th Psalm. You might recognize the first few lines as the lyrics to the old U2 song, simply titled, "40." You'll see the whole breadth of what we've come to expect in the Psalms - Worship, praise, thankfulness, David's expression of his great desire to serve God, and his indebtedness to God, as well as his longing for God to take care of the things that assail him. There's so much good in this one.
Our Proverbs reading today, Proverbs 10:11-12, is two statements. The first reminds us of the power of our words. Words spoken in righteousness give life. Words spoken in wickedness give death. We also get a powerful statement about the power of love over the power of hatred. Think deeply about these words as you reflect on God, His grace, your salvation, and your calling in the world: "Love covers over all wrongs."
2007 Cohort Comments
Comments (10)
LuDell Parrett said
at 9:02 am on Feb 23, 2009
This morning David talks of God lifting us from the mire and giving us a new song. These words are truly music to the desires of my heart! I thank You Lord and praise Your name, and pray that each of this may embrace this "new song" in our hearts!
Blessings...
Rich Rawlins said
at 12:49 pm on Feb 23, 2009
In the NT today it says that Jesus goes up on a mountain to pray. I find that curious in a couple of ways. I've noticed before that, at least as far as Jesus is concerned, there isn't a lot of group prayer that goes on. It seems Jesus is usually leaving his disciples to pray, not including them in prayer. He continually withdraws into the wilderness, and often spends the whole night in prayer there. Somewhat of a different model than today. I've often wondered if we should be more stealthy and singular with our prayers. The second thing I wonder about is why he hoofed it all the way up a mountain. Seems like a ton of work vs just praying somewhere a bit closer. Is there something to being somewhere at altitude? Just more obscure thoughts.
...rich
Nate Burton said
at 1:22 pm on Feb 23, 2009
Maybe Jesus was just trying to mentally separate himself from the bustle and pressure of life to just focus on His conversation with the Father. I tend to try to 'wedge' prayer into my daily schedule, which is cool in some ways, because it helps to keep my heart focusued during the busyness, but there maybe some real value in being physically, mentally and emotionally separate to enter the presence of the Father. I mean clearly the Holy Spirit is always inside me, but God was very particular about how He was appoached in the O.T.
Perhaps being up somewhere more natural, rather than in the man-made towns & cities was also a way to be more in tune with God. I have definitely found that I've had the most amazing prayer moments while camping or hanging out in the mountains. On the other hand, I've found that if I try to make a specific, quiet prayer time at home, that my mind just starts to skip & wander or I get sleepy. I know this also ties in with Marc's message on the Lord's prayer a few weeks ago, which opened some amazing insights about prayer that I'd never thought of before. Anyone have personal insights on this stuff?
Rich Rawlins said
at 1:55 pm on Feb 23, 2009
Ya, I had some of the same thoughts you did. I often pray when I'm fishing, hiking or on horseback in the middle of nowhere, and I do feel more focused. I still find it interesting the Jesus went up a mountain though. A while back, I hiked up Three Fingered Jack. It took me all day and that's after I drove a car to the trail head. I had sturdy boots, warm clothes, a jacket, and a fanny pack full of food, energy bars, water, matches, etc. When I got back to the car that evening I was beat. Now, if I wanted to just find some solitude in the lap of creation, it's only a 30 minute hike and I'm sitting by the Deschutes River in the woods away from everyone and everything. It must have been a pile of work for Jesus to hike up a mountain in sandals with clothing and provisions of that period of time, vs finding some solitude a little closer by. it's another wondering for which I will most likely find no answer, but interesting all the same. Thanks for the comments Nate.
As an aside, does anyone know how many people participate in this study?
Gotta scoot...
...rich
Jim Huddart said
at 2:51 pm on Feb 23, 2009
My translation (NLT) says Jesus went up into the hills. I think that may be a more accurate description of the terrain where He fed the 5000. I also imagine it was necessary to climb a little just to be sure none of the crowd that may have lingered would continue to gather around Him. It seems He took His time alone with God very seriously and it recharged Him to be quiet in the presence of His Father.
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 5:55 pm on Feb 23, 2009
One of the things I have read in scripture is that the 'high' places were powerful places. God met Moses on the mountain, false gods were worshipped and poles/altars set up in high places in David's time and others. Jesus went to the hills seems to be a common theme. Maybe he met with God there. Who knows. But high places are associated with places of authority over cities etc. Just a thought.
Rich Rawlins said
at 1:27 am on Feb 24, 2009
Hey Jim... I took the time to look at all the translations offered at bible gateway. Almost all of them state that Jesus went up a mountain. Curious to know why you think that "hills" is a better translation.
...rich
PS... Just because I'm not buying the "hills" translation, I'm hoping you wont call my note due or jack my interest rate. We're still friends, right? :)
...r
Jim Huddart said
at 11:25 am on Feb 24, 2009
Rich,
The ancient word oros translates "mountain, mount or hill". Since the terrain on the north end of the Sea of Galilee rises sharply but to no real significant height like one would expect from an actual mountain like Three Fingered Jack and since none of the translations say Jesus went to the mountain top, I made the assumption that He merely went up on the hillside or side of the mountain range (which to me means approximately the same as foothills or hillside) just far enough to make sure He was alone. The real point of this part of the text is that Jesus went away to be alone and pray - not that He was in a specific elevation or spot with great significance.
So, whether you buy my idea of hills or not means very little in the big picture. However, the interest on the note you mentioned was at the level of a small hill but is now increased to a rate as high as a very high mountain top!!!
Rich Rawlins said
at 8:09 pm on Feb 24, 2009
Hey Jim...
OK. Point well taken. I got on Google Earth and poked around the area. Kind of cool. While there weren't any Three Fingered Jack type mountains that I could find, by looking at the pictures of the terrain, it still looks like it would have been a bunch of work.
You coming back over to the east side of the mountain anytime soon?
...rich
Marc Schelske said
at 4:45 pm on Feb 25, 2009
Good wondering, all. In my own experience I wonder if sometimes just the hike isn't part of the process. I know that when I hike by myself, the hike gives my body something to do and it sort of frees my mind for all kinds of reflection and exploration. Maybe the hike into the mountains and back was just a way of guaranteeing some undisturbed time?
You don't have permission to comment on this page.