Thurs.’s Devo - Good Answers

Read: Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26: Psalm 89:1-13; Provers 13:15-16 The Levites met with Eleazar the priests, Joshua, and the leaders of the tribes about their land. Moses had commanded that each of the tries give them towns and pasturelands out of their grants of land. It was decided that the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin should give 10 towns for the Kohathite clan. The tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh allowed 12 towns to the Gershonites. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun allotted 12 towns to the Merari clan. So the Levites moved into their towns. Some of the towns were set aside as cities of refuge. *** When it was all said and done, everyone had their land and could settle into their towns. Not one of the good promises the Lord had given them was left unfulfilled. Everything God had said had come true. *** Joshua told the tribes that had settled on the east side (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) that they could return home. They had fulfilled their promise to fight to get the land for the other tribes. On their way home, they stopped at Geliloth near the Jordan River and they built a large imposing altar. When the other tribes heard about it, they were appalled and sent delegates to rebuke them. They reminded them of time they built altars to other gods and God was so angry he struck the entire community with a plague. They asked them why they would do such an abominable thing. Tomorrow we will read their answer. *** The Pharisees challenged Jesus demanding him to tell them who gave him the authority to do what he did. Jesus answered them with a question. He asked them whose authority did John the Baptist operate under - God’s or man’s? They were between a rock and a hard place. Whatever they answered it would nail them. They couldn’t answer, so Jesus told them he wouldn’t answer their question either. I love how Jesus handled the “media” of his day. *** Then Jesus told them a parable about the owner of a vineyard who leased his vineyard to tenants. When he sent delegates to collect the proceeds, they would beat them. He finally sent his only son thinking they would respect him, They killed him instead. He asked them what they thought the owner would do. He would come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. The religious leaders realized he was speaking to them. They were the wicked farmers. This made them so mad but because they were afraid of what the people would do if they arrested Jesus, they plotted instead. They sent spies to try to trick Jesus into answering something in a way they could accused him. One of theses spies asked Jesus if they should pay taxes to Caesar or not. He saw right through that one and asked for a coin. He asked them whose face was on the coin. They answered that if was Caesar’s. Jesus told them to give to Caesar what was due him and give to God what was due him. The spies and the people were amazed. *** Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit who gives us answers to the trickery of man. You are wiser and higher than anything on earth. We are so glad to be a part of your kingdom. Thank you that you do not let one good promise go unfulfilled.