Fri.’s Devo - We Have the Answer

Read: Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:113; Proverbs 13:15-16
Every tribe assigned cities for the Levites within their tribe. The Levites were the spiritual leaders that were to keep the tribes faithful to the Lord. The people were truly blessed in every way. They had peace from their enemies and plenty of good pastureland. They had gold and silver from their conquests and all that God had promised them was fulfilled.
Joshua commended the tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh) that had stayed on the other side of the Jordan for fighting for their brothers. They were now released to go back home and enjoy the goodness God had given them. Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way with all their bounty and told them to divide their wealth with the people back home. On their way back these three tribes built an altar by the Jordan.
The other tribes were all in an uproar about this remembering the golden calf that Aaron built. They came to them and confronted them about their altar. We will read their response tomorrow.
In Luke, the Pharisees and teachers of the law were always following Jesus trying to find a way to trick him. They asked who gave him the authority to do the things he did. He responded with a question. He asked them by what authority John baptized all those people.
They knew that whatever answer they gave, it would expose their hearts so they refused to answer Jesus. Jesus refused to answer their question. Then he gave them the parable about the owner of the vineyard. The owner was God. The vineyard was the world and the tenants were the teachers of the law. The servants were the prophets and judges that God had sent to the world. Now, God had sent his son, Jesus and they would do to him what they did to all the other prophets.
The teachers of the law knew Jesus was referring to them so this made them even more determined to get rid of him any way they could.
So, they tried to get him to offend the Roman government about the issue of taxes. Jesus answered so shrewdly that it shut them up.
Lord, give us wisdom and insight into how to answer the world for the hope we have in Jesus.