Study from God’s Word… Lev. 5: 14-19; Lev. 6: 1-7; Lev. 7: 1-10, 37-38; Num. 28: 9-15; Deut. 21: 1-9; Lev. 22: 17-25 [Deut. 17: 1]; Lev. 22: 26-30; Ex. 23: 18: 35, 34: 25; Lev. 14: 1-9; Num. 6: 22-27; … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 21: 6-8 … NIV 6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8 Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
My Journal for Today: As I’m reading today through the various rules and offerings which were required of God’s people in my daily reading of the Daily Bible in Chronological Order, we come across a section in Deut. 21: 1-9 where offerings for an unknown murderer are discussed; and one might ask, why would God, in His instructions to His people, especially the leaders of the people, discuss the communal responsibility of a town or group of people where a corpse was discovered and the community didn’t have a clue who was responsible for the murder?
Then Dr. Smith poignantly points out that with full knowledge of the “law” that a community of God’s people must take some responsibility for even an unknown murder. Then, we think about those Jewish believers, especially the leader elite, who called for the blood of Jesus to be shed on the cross. What responsibility, given their full knowledge of this section of God’s Law, did they take for that murder? And then I think of a very personal thing which happened for me just a year ago when my wife and I were with a group of Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
At one point in our sightseeing, we were led to the place in Jerusalem where archeologists believe Jesus was nailed to the cross. I’ll not go into how they know that; but I will mention that there are carvings in the stones which show that Roman soldiers were playing games, casting lots for clothing. And so, as I was standing on those stones, I looked down at my feet; and I began to weep because I realized that it was MY sin which nailed MY Savior to that cross. I realized that I was not only no better than the mob who cried for Christ’s death, I was equally responsible for each nail which was driven into the body of my Savior.
In some sense, when we read each day – as we here in the Memphis area certainly do – of murders, rape, and other senseless crimes, we must take some degree of corporate spiritual responsibility for those crimes. We may not pull the trigger in a murder or rape a weakened woman; but we can’t say were blameless as a community for the atmosphere which breeds such senseless crime. As F. LaGard Smith wrote to close his devotional for today, ”As I go about my community today, what vulnerable lives will I be touching for good or for ill?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, we touch others with our influence, … with our caring, …or with our lack of concern. May I be one who makes a difference for Your glory today, Lord, and may I give honor to You in the way I treat others. Amen
Showing posts with label caring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label caring. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
2009 - Day 40.Feb.10 - Impact of Family Blessing
For those reading here ... My time is all changed, being over in Israel for these next 11 or so days. It's now a little after 5am on 2/11 over here; but I'll post as if it's 2/10 since it's evening in the USA. I'm sorry for any confusion from you who're faithfully following this blog ...
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2009 – Day 40.Feb.10 –
Passage of the Day: Genesis 48: 5; 10 – 11; 14 - 26 … Genesis 48 available at this link ...
My Journal for Today: This is a touching and significant scene, which is lost, to a great degree, on today’s western culture. In today’s passages, we read of the final days of the Patriarch of Joseph’s family; and in this scenario old Jacob calls the two sons of Joseph to his side. And then a most significant thing happens.
Old Israel gives his blessing to these two young men, who, because of Joseph’s age couldn’t have been all that old. Most interpretations of this section of Genesis would be translated to indicate that Jacob actually “adopts” the two, Ephraim and Manasseh, a custom of the day for a grandfather to give power to his deathbed blessing. And in these final days, Jacob gives his personal family blessing on the sons of Joseph; and this is a family passage which unfortunately is being lost in our culture. And I personally believe that many of our social ills, the violence in our society, our crowded prisons, and evils of such things as the sex industry and the proliferation of gangs can be traced to the void created when fathers do not pass along the family “blessing” to their children.
Our fatherless families in our world may be the one significant variable which leads to all the ills mentioned above and more. In today’s scripture passage, we see the powerful blessing of a grandfather which added to an already strong relationship which was obvious between Joseph and his boys. And if you follow the lives of these two boys through their future, you would see that this blessing has lasting and powerful impact on the boys.
Though I’m in my 60s as I write this, I’ve discovered that it’s never too late to give your blessing to your kids, especially your sons or grandsons. Yes, we need to verbally, and with the close touch of hugs, tell our sons or grandsons (or the girls as well), “I love you; and I bless you; and I’ll always be there for you.” I’ll almost guarantee you that if you dismiss this powerful principle, thinking that this can’t be all that important, you are gambling with the future of your progeny by ignoring this biblically illustrated family truth.
Go ahead, … just ignore your kids; … don’t give them the blessing of your time and your hugs; … and sit back and watch to see how their lives unfold. And if they turn out to find gangs of kids to run with, or to seek out aberrant sex, or to replace those lost hugs with drugs or alcohol, … don’t blame me; and certainly you can’t blame God’s word. Because the truths are right there in the family manual of all time.
You’ve been forewarned by me … and by God in his word.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I thank you for bringing this into my life before it was too late; and now I’m blessed to pass along those hugs and blessings to my grandchildren. Amen
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2009 – Day 40.Feb.10 –
Passage of the Day: Genesis 48: 5; 10 – 11; 14 - 26 … Genesis 48 available at this link ...
My Journal for Today: This is a touching and significant scene, which is lost, to a great degree, on today’s western culture. In today’s passages, we read of the final days of the Patriarch of Joseph’s family; and in this scenario old Jacob calls the two sons of Joseph to his side. And then a most significant thing happens.
Old Israel gives his blessing to these two young men, who, because of Joseph’s age couldn’t have been all that old. Most interpretations of this section of Genesis would be translated to indicate that Jacob actually “adopts” the two, Ephraim and Manasseh, a custom of the day for a grandfather to give power to his deathbed blessing. And in these final days, Jacob gives his personal family blessing on the sons of Joseph; and this is a family passage which unfortunately is being lost in our culture. And I personally believe that many of our social ills, the violence in our society, our crowded prisons, and evils of such things as the sex industry and the proliferation of gangs can be traced to the void created when fathers do not pass along the family “blessing” to their children.
Our fatherless families in our world may be the one significant variable which leads to all the ills mentioned above and more. In today’s scripture passage, we see the powerful blessing of a grandfather which added to an already strong relationship which was obvious between Joseph and his boys. And if you follow the lives of these two boys through their future, you would see that this blessing has lasting and powerful impact on the boys.
Though I’m in my 60s as I write this, I’ve discovered that it’s never too late to give your blessing to your kids, especially your sons or grandsons. Yes, we need to verbally, and with the close touch of hugs, tell our sons or grandsons (or the girls as well), “I love you; and I bless you; and I’ll always be there for you.” I’ll almost guarantee you that if you dismiss this powerful principle, thinking that this can’t be all that important, you are gambling with the future of your progeny by ignoring this biblically illustrated family truth.
Go ahead, … just ignore your kids; … don’t give them the blessing of your time and your hugs; … and sit back and watch to see how their lives unfold. And if they turn out to find gangs of kids to run with, or to seek out aberrant sex, or to replace those lost hugs with drugs or alcohol, … don’t blame me; and certainly you can’t blame God’s word. Because the truths are right there in the family manual of all time.
You’ve been forewarned by me … and by God in his word.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I thank you for bringing this into my life before it was too late; and now I’m blessed to pass along those hugs and blessings to my grandchildren. Amen
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