Read: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26; Luke 10:38-11:13; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 12:15-17
Once the children of Israel had lived in the land for three years and had their own harvest, they were to bring their first fruits to the Lord. They were to put them in a basket and bring them to the priests who would put them at the foot of the altar. Then the people would declare their story of how their great God delivered them out of bondage and gave them this land. This was to remind them of where they had come from and who it was that had blessed them. Everything belonged to the Lord, but he was only asking for their first fruits and a tenth of the harvest. The rest of the harvest was theirs to enjoy. The tenth of the harvest went to feed the priests, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow. That was God’s plan for the welfare of his people. Next, they were to proclaim their obedience in following God’s laws.
When they crossed over the Jordan, they were to write the law on uncut stones and set them up as a memorial that this was the law of their land. Anyone who came into the land could see the laws of the land and know what they were entering.
We are to put the Word in our hearts and it is to be the standard of all that we do. In Deuteronomy 11:18, God told them to lay up God’s word in their hearts and in their soul, and to bind them for a sign upon their hand, that they might be frontlets between their eyes. David said, “thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” God’s Word is our instruction manual to life.
God told them to send half of the tribal leader to Mt. Gerizim to read the blessings and half of the leaders to Mt. Ebal to read the curses. These mountains are very close to one another. The people were to stand in the valley between the two and the acoustics were so perfect that they could clearly hear everything that was read without a microphone. The first curse had to do with man’s relationship to God and the others had to do with their relationship to each other. If we get the first one right then it will be easier to do the rest. At the end of every curse, the people were to agree verbally.
Tomorrow we get to read the good stuff - the blessings.
In Luke, we read the famous story of Mary and Martha. Mary stood for the new wineskin. She was a woman who was being taught the Torah by the very Word that became flesh. For a woman to be taught the Torah in her day was very unconventional. She should have been up working, but she chose to sit in a position of rest and receive. That was another break from tradition. Jesus said that she was choosing the most important over the natural. Martha stood for tradition. She was doing what was conventional for her to do. She was working to feed everyone and serve. It is easier to be busy about God’s business than to sit and receive and walk in the Spirit. But Jesus was bringing a new covenant and a new way of living. Mary just found it first.
Jesus taught them to pray and his prayer is still our standard. We worship God for who he is first because worship and praise is the way into the presence of the Lord. Then we pray his heart which is to bring his kingdom down to earth. This gives us a heavenly perspective about life. Then we forgive and pray for mercy.
Jesus demonstrated how to pray for one another. We approach him as a friend helping a friend. We keep praying till we see it happen. When we need our needs met we pray to our father who cares about our needs. When we are fighting our adversary, we approach God as the just judge who is the only one who can atone for out sins and judge the devil.
Lord, help us to keep praying for those who need our prayers. Thank you for all you have done for us and for your kingdom. Help us to bring that kingdom in heaven down to earth so that the world can see your goodness and chose you as their Lord.
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