Tues.’s Devo - New Generation - New Wine

Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26 The leaders of the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses with a petition. The daughters of Zelophehad, from their tribe had been granted land (Numbers 26:33) and they were afraid that the daughters would marry outside their tribe and then the land would go to that tribe in the Year of Jubilee. Moses ruled that the daughters of Zelophehad must marry within their tribe and then the land would stay in that tribe. They obeyed and married their cousins. Every tribe had its own ministry and set of gifts and God wanted to keep them in their group. It should have taken them 11 days to get from Mt. Sinai to the promised land but it took them 40 years because of their unbelief. When they left Mt. Sinai, God had told them to go the way of the Euphrates River and see all the land he was giving them. All they had to do was to go in and occupy it. God had given Moses men to help him carry the load of judging the people’s problems. When they came to the land that God had given them, Moses told them to go in and occupy but the people asked Moses to send spies in first, so he did. Instead of hearing the reports about how good the land was, they only heard about the giants in the land and let fear keep them from entering. God was extremely upset with them and told them that not one except Caleb and Joshua would ever enter the land. He would give it to their innocent children who they were afraid would be captured. The next generation would be the ones who would occupy the land. They had to turn around and go back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. They had to repeat everything they had gone through and go backwards. The people then repented but it was too late. Some of them decided to go anyway and were totally defeated because God was not with them. In Luke, Jesus’ newest disciple, Levi had a dinner party for Jesus and invited all of his friends. The tax-collector was the most hated of all people so the only people who would associate with a tax-collector is prostitutes and sinners. The Pharisees were disgusted and asked Jesus why he hung out with such scum. Jesus explained that it was the sick who needed a doctor. Repentance is for people who realize they are sinners. The Pharisees were the greatest sinners of all but they covered it up even from themselves; the people there knew they were sinners and their hearts wanted a savior. They also complained that Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast. Jesus explained that it was not time for fasting but celebrating because the Messiah had come. When he left it would be a time for fasting. Jesus told the parable about the cloth and the wine. He was the new wine and their wineskins were their souls. They had to change on the inside to be able to receive the Messiah with his new laws and ways. The Pharisees kept questioning Jesus about the letter of the law which was what they had added to the law. Jesus kept answering with words of freedom. Jesus purposely healed the man’s hand on the Sabbath because the Sabbath was a day for doing good. The Pharisees had used the law to control the people and Jesus was using it to set them free. Lord, may were walk in the freedom you have given us and see people as you see them.