Thurs.’s Devo - Jesus Entered Jerusalem

Read: Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-26; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23 If a person dedicated a house to the Lord, the priest would come and access its value. If the person later wanted to buy it back he would pay that price plus 20%. If it was land that he wanted to dedicate, the value would be assessed according to the amount of seed required to plant it. All prices varied according to how close it was to the next Jubilee. The closer it got to jubilee, the less the land would be worth. The only way this fair system could work was for the priests to be honest and God-fearing. When the priests became corrupt and self-seeking, this system became very corrupt. If you think of this in terms of the house meaning a person and the field being a ministry then it would be of greater value to the Lord for a person to be saved at an early age or for a ministry to be long standing. More people would be affected. But if a person got saved on their death bed, they would go to heaven but the years of effectiveness on the earth will be less. It doesn’t mean we are loved less but our years of service to the Lord are what are being valued here. On the first day of the second month, they were told by God to number the warriors. That day would be 15 days after Passover and 25 days before Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. Since Pentecost represents the giving of the Spirit and the entering into spiritual warfare it would make sense that the warriors would be selected beforetime. Leaders of each tribe were selected and the warriors of each tribe were counted and recorded. They were chosen according to their age and ability. The tribe of Levi was not counted because their job was to carry and protect the presence of the Lord - the Tabernacle. In Mark, Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the tenth of Nissan. It was the same day that Moses told the Israelites to select their lamb. It would be kept until the fourteenth and during those days in between, they would be examining it to make sure it was unblemished (Exodus 12:3). Jesus entered to be examined by the religious leaders and the political leaders and they would all say he was innocent. The people all around Jesus as he rode the donkey into Jerusalem were singing the Hallel, which were Psalms 113-118. They carried palm branches and waved them. If they were on the road where the pascal lamb - the one lamb that would die for the whole nation was walking, they would lay down their palm branches for him to walk on. They did this for Jesus. Jesus went straight to the Temple and cleansed it. This had to be done to prepare the Temple for his death. In the houses of the people, they were busy removing the yeast from their houses in preparation for Unleavened Bread Feast. Jesus was cleansing his house of the yeast. Jesus passed by the fig tree he had cursed on his way back into town the next day. The disciples pointed out that it was withered and dead. Jesus told them that if they had faith they could bring down a mountain. The only thing that can hinder this is unforgiveness. Lord, help us to forgive those who have hurt us and used us. Forgive us as a nation for turning against you and your laws. Help us to rebuild on You as our foundation.