Sun.’s Devo - God’s Appointed Feasts

Read: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9 To honor the Lord, they were to celebrate the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread every year in the month of Abib. That was the month that God delivered them from Egypt. It must be celebrated at the place designated to worship the Lord. *** Seven weeks from when they first cut the wheat to harvest it they were to celebrate the Festival of Harvest. *** The Festival of Tabernacle was to be celebrated for seven days at the end of the grape harvest in the fall. It would be a great time of joy and thanksgiving for God’s abundance. The three festivals: Unleavened Bread, Festival of Harvest and the Festival of Shelters were to be celebrated every year. The men were required to appear before the Lord at these times at the place God chooses. They must not appear empty handed by must bring a gift in proportion to their blessing. *** They were to appoint judges and officials from each of their tribes to judge them fairly. They must not show partiality or accept bribes or twist justice. They must judge wisely and justly. *** Idol worship should never be allowed. If you anyone hears of someone worshiping false idols, it must be investigated thoroughly. If the person or persons is found guilty them they must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. There must always be two or more witnesses before a person can be condemned. These witnesses were to throw the first stones. *** All felony and murder cases were to be brought to the priests and the judges for them to hear and judge. Their sentence must be fully executed and not modified in any way. If this were to happen, that man would have to die. This was the way to purge the evil from Israel and put fear in the hearts of the people so that they wouldn’t disobey the Lord. *** If they decided to select a king to rule over them then they must appoint the one God chooses. He must be an Israelite. He must not send them to Egypt to buy horses because God has told them not to ever return to Egypt. He must not take many wives or accumulate large amounts of silver and gold for himself. He must copy the law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests and read it daily. This will keep him honest and humble and will ensure that he and his descendants reign for many generations in Israel. *** In Luke, Herod was very curious about Jesus. He had had John the Baptist beheaded and some were saying he was John who had come back to life. Others were saying Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets that had risen from the dead. *** Jesus slipped away to Bethsaida but the crowds learned where he was and followed him there. He taught them about the kingdom of God and healed their sick. The disciples urged Jesus to send the people home so they could eat. Jesus told his disciples to feed them. They only had five loaves and two fish and the crowd was 5,000 men. *** The disciples were not capable of feeding them so Jesus gave them to do something they were capable of doing. He told them to seat the people in groups of 50. That they could do. Then he took the food and blessed it and God did what they couldn’t do. He multiplied the food to feed the whole crowd and there were 12 baskets of left-overs. *** Jesus asked his disciples one day who the people said that he was and then he asked them who they thought he was. Peter said that he was the Messiah, sent from God. *** Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. He would suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the religious leaders. He would be killed but on the third day he would be raised form the dead. *** To the crowd he told them to follow him they must take up their cross daily. To live they had to give up their lives. There is no benefit in gaining in the world’s system and losing your soul. Anyone who is ashamed of Him, He would be ashamed of them when he returns. *** Lord, may your justice prevail in righteousness in all the earth. May your enemies be defeated and your kingdom come.