Weds.’s Devo - The King

Read: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9 Moses continued giving God’s words to the people. God designated three times every year when every man in Israel was to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, The Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. Passover would be in Nisan and when it was eaten it was to be eaten with unleavened bread which would begin that festival. Unleavened Bread was to be celebrated a whole week where no yeast was to be eaten. Seven weeks from then would be the Festival of Harvest or Pentecost. This was to celebrate the wheat harvest. In the fall, they were to come back to the designated place and celebrate the Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles. This would celebrate the grape and olive harvest. Judges were to be appointed to judge the people locally. If the case is a murder or assault or too involved for them, they were to take the case to the Levites in the cities of refuge. They would try the case and decide. They were never to set up Asterah poles or pillars because they were used in pagan worship. If any one was found worshipping other gods or the sun, moon or stars - the forces of heaven, they were to be taken outside of the camp and stoned to death. There must be at least two witnesses to bring any accusation against them. If they decide that they want to appoint a king to rule them, they should be sure to ask the Lord who he chooses. He must be an Israelite and not a foreigner. He must not build up large stables of horses or send his people to Egypt to buy horses because God did not want them to ever return to Egypt. The king must not take many wives because they would turn his heart away from the Lord and he must not accumulate large amounts of gold and silver for himself. The king must copy all the law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests and he must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. It will keep him obeying God and it will keep him humble. It will also ensure his long reign and the reign of his children. In Luke, Jesus was getting the attention of Herod Antipas. He had had John the Baptist’s beheaded and now hears that Jesus might be John raised from the dead. He kept hearing stories of what Jesus was doing and wanted to see him, probably from afar. The disciples had just gotten back from their mission trip by themselves and told Jesus all about their adventures. Jesus took them to a remote place but the crowds followed them. When he had been teaching all day and the people were tired and hungry he told his disciples to feed them. They only had five loaves and two fish. Jesus had them all sit in groups and blessed the food then began breaking the fish and bread and giving it to the disciples. It multiplied and they had 12 baskets left over. The lesson was that God will bless what you have in your hands if you offer it up to him. Jesus asked the disciples who the people were saying he was. Then he asked them who they thought he was. They thought he was the Messiah. Jesus told them all the things that he would have to suffer.