Sat.’s Devo - The Good Report

Read: Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22-14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 12:26 Moses went up on Mt. Nebo in the plains of Moab and was able to see the whole promised land. On that plain, God took Moses’s life and buried him opposite Beth-peor. Beth-peor was the temple of Baal. God was making a statement. There has never been a prophet like Moses who saw God face to face. The people mourned Moses’ death then Joshua took charge. Joshua had God’s wisdom so instead of sending a spy from each tribe, he chose only two men to go to spy out the land. Last time only two came back with a good report so two was a good number. (He had been one of them.) After spying out the land, the two spies ended up in the house of Rahab. She told them that the whole land was afraid of them. They had heard of how God parted the Red Sea and how God had given them victory over Og and Sihon. She hid the two men when the guards of the city came to her door. She lied and told them that the men had left the city and sent them off to chase them. As she was letting the two spies down by a scarlet rope, she made them promise to save her and her family. The two spies made a covenant with her to save her and her family if she left the rope to mark the house and if her family was in the house when they came. She made the promise and they fled to the mountains where they hid out for three days then went to Joshua to report. Their report was: “The Lord has given us the whole land, for all the people in the land are terrified of us.” In Luke, Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem, stopping off at small towns along the way to teach and heal. One of the people asked Jesus if only a few would be saved. Jesus basically told them that the way was narrow to enter into the kingdom but the day would come when no-one would be able to enter because it would be too late. The time to enter was now. The Pharisees tried to intimidate Jesus by threatening him and telling him that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him. Jesus’ response was to tell that fox that he would continued to heal and cast out demons and on the third day he would accomplish his purpose. He was referring to his resurrection which would bring Satan’s kingdom down. Herod was the manifestation of Satan’s kingdom on earth. Jesus put a curse on Jerusalem which was the city where all the prophets had been killed. He knew he would be killed there also. He prophesied that they would not see him again until they could say, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” That has yet to happen. Once again, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and gave the same reason as he gave the Pharisees in yesterday’s reading. Lord, may we walk in your kingdom here on earth and look forward to your heavenly kingdom.