Numbers 31:25-32:45
I guess you could draw some theological conclusions from the fact that the Reubenites and Gadites decided not to cross the Jordan but as the narrative doesn’t say what the Lord thought of their request then I’d be loathe to speculate. What is significant about this section though is that it heralds Israel’s settling down from her nomadic lifestyle of wilderness wandering. From here on in we begin to see the people of Israel wedding itself to the land of Israel that David ruled over and Jesus trod upon. This is, therefore, a useful passage for helping us begin to understand how the Jewish people came to be in their land and why it was (and still is) so important to them.
Luke 8:40-9:9
Jesus’ command to the disciples is to proclaim the gospel and to demonstrate the power and compassion of the kingdom of God by healing the sick. To proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom is one of the primary callings of the Vineyard and of the whole church of God. Luke illustrates what this proclamation and demonstration looks like in the previous anecdote about the bleeding woman and the ruler’s daughter. Jesus’ proclamation is not a 3-point exegesis of a biblical passage but is him fronting up to the lady and affirming her faith in him as God’s anointed Messiah. Proclamation doesn’t require clever words or intricate apologetics but it does require us to point to Jesus as king of the whole world and to invite people to put their faith in him. Jesus’ demonstration is instantaneous, miraculous recovery of serious symptoms. It at once confirms the proclamation of the gospel (even if it happens before it) and pushes the person to press on further into faith in Jesus (go in peace is not just a kind way of saying goodbye...). While our demonstration may not always be as dramatic as that of Jesus (although sometimes it might be more so!) I think Luke does call us to demonstrate the compassion and the power of God. After all, God is intimately involved with our world - in Him we live and breathe and have our being - and we should not be remotely surprised if he shows himself in and through our prayers and words.
Psalm 40:1-8
I’ve regularly felt like I’ve been in a slimy pit. The image of being lifted out of the mud and mire and being stood on a rock just feels so liberating and so attractive. Thank you God that this is not just a poem but something that can be experienced in life.
