May 14, 2022
JUDGES 20-21:
In
yesterday's reading, the people of Dan took all the items in
Micah's household shrine and Micah's Levite priest. The priest’s
name was given at the end of the chapter. He was the grandson of
Moses! And then the Danites slaughtered the unsuspecting residents
of Laish, forgetting about the law about giving terms of surrender
before attacking. Then we heard of the unnamed Levite and his
concubine (meaning, additional inferior-status wife). Nothing
happened according to God's will in this story. While the author
says nothing negative about any of the characters, all had their
faults. However, the Levite stands out as a terrible husband. And
what happened at Gibeah— as we will see today— becomes the basis
for Israel's first civil war.
PSALM 88:
This
poem is perhaps the most-dark of all the despairing psalms. One
encouragement to us is that God has now revealed things about our
hope of heaven which were unknown to the writer. This psalm offers
no hope or encouragement. But the presence of Psalm 88 in Scripture
gives us permission when in our darkest depression to come to God
in prayer speaking words like found here.
1TIMOTHY 4:
Yesterday in the 3rd chapter of First Timothy
we heard one of the key passages in God's Word on the
qualifications of church leaders. The chapter ended with a fragment
of an early worship song.
Note how important the ‘conscience’ is to
Paul!
1:5 The purpose of this order is to arouse the
love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and
[(sincerely) believing in true teaching (without
pretending/hypocrisy)//a genuine faith].
3:9
[PET they must believe fully in the true teachings which God has
revealed to us, and must live with a clear
conscience.
1:19
and [to keep on believing in true teaching//keep your faith] and
[to live with] a clear conscience. Some people have not listened to
their conscience and [have wrecked their minds so that they are no
longer able to believe in true teaching//have made a ruin of their
faith].
4:2
Such teachings are spread by deceitful liars, whose consciences are
dead, as if burnt with a hot iron.
NLT Translation notes:
14 O
LORD, why do you reject me?
Why
do you [keep turning// turn] your face [away] from
me?
====
1Tim. 4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly
that in the last times some will turn away from [true beliefs//our
true way of believing//the true faith]; they will follow deceptive
spirits and teachings that come from demons.
3
They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain
foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by
[believers//faithful people] who know the truth.
6 If you explain these things to the brothers
and sisters, Timothy, you
will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by
the [message of faith and] the good teaching[s] you have followed[—
the teachings about our beliefs].
[Literally “words of faith” is plural, unlike
‘message’. PET: \6 Teach things like this to the brothers and
sisters in the faith there, so that you'll be proven to be His good
servant before our Lord Christ Jesus. A good servant of Christ must
become more and more mature in all kinds of teachings that build up
our beliefs— like the good teachings that you already
follow.]
12
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an
example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in
your love, your [fully believing//faith], and your
purity.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.