Wed.’s Devo - Mercy

Read: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11 Eunuchs, bastards, Ammonites, Moabites or any of their descendant for ten generations were not allowed in the assembly of the Lord. But, they were not to hate the Edomites or the Egyptians because the Edomites were their relatives and they lived among the Egyptians. The tired generation of Edomites and Egyptians were allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord. *** If a slave escaped and came to you for refuge, you were not to hand him over to his master. They were to let them live among them and not oppress them. *** Interest was not to be imposed on fellow Israelites. If a vow was made, they were to be quick to fulfill it. You must not steal from your neighbor. *** If a man wanted to divorce his wife, he must write her a writ of divorcement and make it legal. She is then free to remarry. (Jesus rebuked them for not legally divorcing their wives thus making her commit adultery if she remarried.) *** I was illegal to make a person give their means of work as security for a loan. *** All kidnappers must die. *** People were to be treated with dignity, especially the poor. They were to be paid daily for their work because they might need it that day. *** Parents were not responsible for the sins of their children nor the children responsible for their parents. Foreigners and children were to receive true justice. They were to show mercy to the widow and the poor, even when harvesting their crops. *** If a person is sentenced to flogging, it must not exceed 40 lashes. If two brothers live on the same property and one of them dies without a son, the other brother is obligated to marry his widow. Her first son would be considered her first husband’s to carry out his name. *** If the living brother refuses to marry her, she must go to the town gate and tell the elders. They will bring the man in for questioning and if he still refused to marry her, the widow must pull off his sandal and spit in his face and declare that this is what happens to the man who refuses to provide his brother with children. His family will bear that stigma their whole life. *** They must be honest in their business and never forget what the Amalekites did to them when they came out of Egypt. They refused to give them food and struck down their weak. They had no fear of God. They must be destroyed. *** In Luke, Jesus cursed Koran and Bethsaida for rejecting the rejecting the power of God and Jesus’ message of salvation. Jesus explains that anyone who rejected them was also rejecting him and God. *** Jesus met with his 72 he had sent out and gave them authority over all the power of the enemy. He told them they could walk on snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing would injure them. He has given us that same authority. *** Jesus thanked God for choosing people who were humble to use. He told his disciples that the prophets longed to see what they saw. They were truly blessed. *** A religious teacher came to Jesus to test him and asked him what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him what Moses law had said and he quoted to love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. *** Then the man wanting to justify his actions asked Jesus who his neighbor was. Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan. Jesus asked him who was this man’s neighbor and he said the one who showed him mercy. Jesus told him to go and do the same. *** This was not what he was expecting to hear, but God loves mercy more than acts of piety and gifts. *** Lord, may we give mercy out of our hearts to those who need mercy. May we forgive and walk in love.