Friday

15-March

Deuteronomy 13-14 Eccl 1:1-11 Luke 17

Deuteronomy 13: What were they to do if anyone tried to lead them to follow other gods?  What if a whole town was led astray?

Deuteronomy 14: What was to be done with their tithe (first fruits, first crops, etc) if they lived far from the place designated by God to bring their offering. What do you think about 14:26?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11:  How would you summarize these verses?

Luke 17:  In verse 1:  Who is the one who receives the warning: ‘woe to’?.  What did the disciples ask Jesus? How did He answer them?

Journal Prompt:  What do you think was the future for the nine lepers who did not return to thank Jesus?

Answers:

Deuteronomy 13:  They were to kill them. If a town was led astray, they were to kill everyone including the livestock and burn the city and all of the plunder – never to be rebuilt again.

Deuteronomy 14: If they lived far from the worship site chosen by God they should go to the nearby city and sell their first crops.  With the money they could use a portion of it to enjoy a meal in the place chosen by God. “spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.” (v.26)

From Benson commentary: This was an injunction to the Israelites to use a part of their income in hospitality; to rejoice in the goodness of God, when they came before his presence, to acknowledge he was the author of all their blessings, and to gladden the hearts of the poor, the fatherless, and the widow, by entertaining them; thus imitating God’s goodness to themselves by acts of kindness to others. Thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God — The comfortable and cheerful using of what God hath given us, with temperance and sobriety, is really the honouring of God with it. Contentment, holy joy, and thankfulness, make every meal a religious feast.

Luke 14: Woe to the one who leads others astray – compare this to our reading in Deuteronomy 13. The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith.  Jesus didn’t really agree to do what they asked.